


A Matter of Time

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, M/M, Original Character(s), Probably No Mpreg, Young Erwin, Young Levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2014-04-27
Packaged: 2018-01-13 20:10:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1239271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi has only ever wanted to live for himself, but it seems the universe had other plans for him. Now his only way out comes in the form of tall, blonde, and overbearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dangereuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dangereuse/gifts), [irrelevantnutella](https://archiveofourown.org/users/irrelevantnutella/gifts).



> Hey all! This is my first Attack on Titan fic, as well as my first A/B/O fic. Please enjoy! 
> 
> Dedicated to Dangereuse for introducing me to the dynamic and Irrelevantnutella for beta reading and encouraging me!

It was an understatement to say Levi had the makings of an alpha in him. While he rested peacefully in the womb of his father's beta, a sensation of 'Yes. He is an alpha' assured the concerned parents of their lineage. He was rebellious, but not disobedient; He was quiet, but not meek; He was small but so very strong- and he was omega. It came as a surprise to both alpha and beta parent and, much to the consternation of his alpha father, he was only an omega in scent and title. He obeyed just enough to keep himself from getting culled, but sassed well enough for a young and haughty alpha. 

Eventually it had stressed out his mother so much so that his father felt it necessary to invest in illegal products to mask the boy's scent with something more beta. The King had placed a ban on the popular products when they began to confuse mating rituals and even caused a lull in the population.

It was no small surprise when Levi became the infamous juvenile delinquent he was widely known to be in the Sina District. Of course an omega of his breeding (though his father was an alpha, their ethnic lineage dropped them at the bottom of the underground districts) was far below the bottom of the mating chain. To his father's disappointment, a mystic omega of meager means was not often sought after by well-to-do alphas. His highest hopes were that an alpha with no small allowance and no high tolerance would find Levi a compatible mate. The boy was strong and resilient and wouldn't break under a heavy hand. Some alphas made their bonding decisions based on attitude. Rather than going for a perfectly submissive omega, they would seek the most feral and find arousal and pride in their ability to gentle them into their natural state. As far as those omegas went, Levi was one in a million. For most alphas, however, he could only be seen as repugnant. 

Levi was tracking in mud by the time he arrived home (2 hours after curfew). He never really understood why his mother grew so mad over the act- they lived in fucking ruthless squalor. Their floor was more or less tightly packed dirt with a couple of strategically placed rugs strewn about it. 

"My God, Levi. Do you have any idea what time of night it is?" His father's voice, raspy from sleep, hollered from the doorway of his parent's shared room. 

It was a common inquiry that Levi had heard time enough to prepare. "1:05," he replied coolly, setting on the table a satchel that may as well have been glued to him. He peeked inside of it, pulling out a few cloth covered objects.  
The incredulity on his father's face didn't go unnoticed. 

"My own progeny is going to be the death of me," his father scoffed. "Beating you isn't even worth it anymore. You don't learn." Levi said nothing, instead focusing on the vibrant golden bangles shining in his palm. "You'll never get picked by a good alpha you know." He said it as if it were meant to scare Levi- and it might have enticed a little flame of doubt in his stomach, but the rowdy omega would never admit that. 

"Shame," was all he said in reply. 

"It's one thing for a beta to do what you do, but an omega- If you were ever caught and found out you'd be killed in a moment!" 

"I'd better not get caught then," Levi said, succinct. 

His father shook his head and threw his hands into the air in a gesture of giving up. He was a weak alpha, anyway, and held almost no control over his omega son. A small part of Levi (one that he had mostly managed to suppress through sheer willpower alone) felt a pang of anxiety. Any other omega would be shitting their pants over the disapproval of an alpha, but he had managed to numb the feeling well enough. The guilt in his belly would only linger for a few days before fading back to wherever it had originated. 

Levi splayed his newly obtained items before himself on the driftwood tabletop, his eyes gleaming at the shimmering silver and gold. Omegas were built to be light and quick which he had used to his advantage through much of his childhood. His strength was unheard of in an omega, but he didn't mind bending the roles of his birthright in this way (or any way, really.) 

He decided that in the morning he'd venture back out to the surface and sell the stolen goods to one of his contacts. 

\---

The Rouge Pomme was a small tavern located in Wall Maria that was a general cesspool of drunken Alphas and Betas both military association and civilian. Some nights saw more soldiers than others, but tonight was special. It was a celebration to commemorate a successful mission for Erwin's scouting team. They'd returned with every single member in tact. Although they didn't bring back any new information, a zero fatality count warranted some sort of consultation. 

The celebration was team wide, but each soldier remained mostly isolated to their cliques. For Erwin, it was Hanji, Mike, Nanaba and himself. They were a small yet inclusive group, but for now only the four of them were situated around the splintering wooden table. 

"It was a good run today. If we can keep it up with that flare gun system we can focus on losing less soldiers," Erwin commented, taking a drink from his pint. 

"Do you really have to talk business while we're trying to celebrate?" Hanji laughed, loud and good-natured, raising her glass up high. Betas didn't hold their alcohol as well as Alphas did so Hanji's face was already blossoming red in intoxication while Mike, Nanaba and Erwin remained unmoved.

Their group was an oddity in that Alphas didn't tend to stick together in groups. It was mostly one or two alphas leading a slew of betas, although Mike Erwin, and Nanaba were young enough that they still enjoyed each other's company without tension. Erwin didn't see it changing, really. They were all three rather laid back for a pack of alphas- and one beta. They all enjoyed the company of Hanji as she fit their bill of minute difference when compared to their peers. 

"I smell something," Mike said suddenly, pulling Erwin out of his short reverie. His chin was lifted and he was sniffing rather eagerly, as if smelling something sweet. 

"What is it?" Erwin asked. 

"Your little mouse," Mike said with a small grin. 

"Him again?" Erwin hummed, leaning his elbow on the table and placing his chin in his hand. 

"Who?" Nanaba asked, sipping her beer while raising a single eyebrow.

Hanji laughed loudly, shaking her head. "Just a little gutter rat Erwin failed to catch a couple years ago." 

"What's he doing, Mike?" Erwin asked. 

"He's got a bunch of silver and gold," Mike said, wiggling his nose slightly. Being a thoroughbred made Mike's senses about as finely tuned as one's senses could be. He was the envy of Alphas and met few rivals that could be easily held up beside him. "Stolen, obviously." 

"How do you know?" Nanaba asked. 

"Someone from the slums couldn't even afford to look at a silver utensil," Erwin explained. He was about to continue, but a breathy 'Oh' from Mike stopped him short. "What is it?" 

"He's not like we thought. He's not a beta." Mike inhaled deeply and closed his eyes behind his bangs. "He's using that musky artificial beta scent. He's an omega." 

"Oh," Erwin said. Hanji looked at him, the redness in her cheeks a testament to why she was swaying, though it was hardly apparent to herself. 

"An omega," Hanji hummed. 

"An unmated omega," Mike corrected. 

"An unmated omega," Nanaba said past the rim of her beer mug, as if in affirmation. 

"That's about to go into heat." Mike set his mug down and looked at Erwin. "I don't like this." 

"Me neither. He'll cause a frenzy. Shouldn't he have been locked up by now!" Erwin slammed his mug down, a little red in the face from both consumption and anger. It wasn't so much from the negligence the boy was displaying- In fact he couldn't quite place why he was angry. If the little delinquent wanted to get himself killed then so be it, right? 

There was a short, tense silence between them until Hanji's laugh broke it. "You're drunk Erwin," she teased. 

\---

When Levi finally returned home he felt a certain air of exhaustion. Going from the Underground district to Sina undetected was nigh impossible, even for himself. Though he had been doing it for years, security separating the borders had been increased rather adamantly. 

Upon his return he had to trek the long distance to the opposite end of the Underground district to the home of his friend Isabel. In the event of a raid, it would be far less suspicious for a Beta to be in possession of a copious amount of money than an omega. He was thankful he had a friend that would take such a great risk for him. 

When he finally made the distance back to his own home, he collapsed on his ragged futon with a great exhalation. His parents weren't awake, of course, they both worked odd jobs around the neighborhood to make whatever semblance of a living they could. It occurred to Levi that he could use the money he made illicitly to help, but he'd never felt any real affinity for either parent. They had both made it clear early on that he was only worth as much as an alpha would pay for him. 

His current goal was to make enough money to buy himself. It was an absurd notion, but he knew how desperate his parents were to finally make a profit off of him. If he had enough to make it worth their while he could finally escape the tyranny of his birth and continue living his life how he wanted to. It went entirely against his breeding but he wouldn't have it any other way. 

When he awoke the next morning he could hear two people talking in the other room. In his weary, sleep-induced haze he assumed it was his mother an father, but was quick to realize it was two men. His father and someone else.

He jumped up quickly and went to his dresser, searching through the drawer that held what few garments he possessed. The tips of his fingers brushed against a glass bottle and he grasped the neck, eyeing it after he had pulled it out of its hiding place. He still smelled rather beta, but this wasn't about passing as a beta now. It was about offending the foreign alpha in the other room. 

He popped off the small decanter and used his free hand to push the back of his hair up and out of the way. With a steady hand, he smeared the pungent liquid on the back of his neck, basking in the familiar smell. If only he had been born a Beta. Life would be so much easier. 

Levi stared at the bottle, his lip turned up in a slight sneer. If this was going to happen, then he was going to go down kicking. He tilted the bottle and poured a good amount into his hands, lathering them together. He stroked lines down his chest and what he could reach of his back (he was flexible) and then down his arms and back around his neck. It was overkill and he knew it would be disgusting enough to cause a lull in the patience of everyone involved. Maybe the alpha would see him as a lost cause and leave. 

He heard the voices outside his door pause and waited where he stood with baited breath. "Levi," He heard his father call. 

Levi grit his teeth. His instincts were yelling at him to obey the silent command as always, but he stood his ground. After a few moments there was a knock on the old driftwood door of his bedroom and he exhaled slowly. "Levi wake up and come to the living room immediately." 

It was a smart move. Although alphas didn't always like lazy omegas, a disobedient one was far worse. He rolled his eyes and pulled on a shirt. When he entered the living room area, a large and cocky looking alpha was seated on their less than put together couch. In fact, Levi was sure his top-heavy girth alone would break it completely. He looked like a ridiculous caricature with his crisp uniform and his tiny eyes and his blonde mustache.

Levi could see the pure repugnance on the alphas face as soon as he entered the room, and he was sure that his father saw it as well. "Excuse us for just a moment. Leanna will serve you a drink." And then he bowed his head which made Levi all the more irritated when his father grabbed him tightly by the arm and dragged him through the kitchen- His mother watching with a confused expression- and into the back alley. There was a hose connected to the wall that Levi's father wasted no time in wrenching from the ground. He turned on the shower selection and began to hose Levi down, surprising the boy. 

"What in the fuck are you doing!" Levi yelled. If he had half a mind to, he could break his father's wrist and run, but a crime against an alpha meant death and he wasn't keen on running for the rest of his life. 

"I know what you're doing," his father hissed in reply. "Just shut up and be obedient for once in your life. This is your only chance to be accepted by an alpha." 

For fuck's sake his father was so dense. He didn't have any desire to be accepted by an alpha. He had Isabel and Farlan and he didn't particularly care about being accepted by anyone else for any other reason. He needed to escape somehow, but the alley was too narrow and the apartments that formed it had outrageously tall walls that even he couldn't scale without first being caught. 

His father kept a firm grip on his arm as he reached inside and cradled a freshly folded pair of clothes. A white shirt that was too big on Levi and white pants. It was symbolic of purity or some bullshit like that. 

"Change into these right now." 

Levi glared hard as he stripped his old wet clothes and changed into the new ones. It was more accurate to call them renovated hand-me-downs though. He was shoved back into the kitchen and ordered to go to the living room while his father followed closely behind him to prevent escape. 

"That's much better," Maxim chuckled after a brief inhale. Levi was repulsed. 

"Levi, this is Maxim Calabri. He's a Colonel for the Garrison. Isn't that impressive?" It really wasn't. It wasn't and Levi wanted to let this alpha- Maxim- know that. The Garrison were a bunch of dirty disgusting drunks who didn't know how to keep it in their pants. He opted to say nothing, rolling his eyes instead which earned him a back hand. He could feel his hackles rising. he wanted to attack and he knew he could win, but it was far, far more suicidal for an omega to be wanted for the assault of two alphas, namely a prospective mate and his own father. 

"You're even lovelier in person, Levi," Maxim cooed in a voice that was most likely meant to be charming but it only made Levi want to throw up. 

"Have a seat Levi," his father said. Levi went to sit on the plain wooden stool beside his father's Master chair, but he was caught by the arm and dragged down to his father's feet. He could feel the steam rising up inside him but tried to keep himself calm. All he needed was an opening to escape. He'd figure out the details later. 

Maxim turned to Levi's father and his face immediately turned all business- Not at all like the fake bravado he'd directed towards Levi. It was sickening. "I'm not going to play games with you. I have two omegas and a pup already, and when Felix told me you were looking for an offer on your son I initially wasn't interested. Taking in another omega would mean less leisure money for me and my first, and I'm quite content with what I have now." 

"Yes, well, you see, Levi, he's-" 

"I'm not finished. It wasn't until Felix showed me his picture that my curiosity was piqued. He is a vision of beauty- Trust me I'm not one to be put off by your...origins," he cleared his throat slightly and leaned back against the couch. "I was also informed he's got quite the temper. I quite like a challenge. I'll have him gentled in no time. My price is thirty thousand. While he is...most definitely worth more, unfortunately I have to take my other omegas needs into account." 

Levi closed his eyes. It was all he could do to dissociate himself from the situation and pretend they weren't talking about him like he wasn't there. "I'm going to the kitchen," he said, standing. He evaded his father's grabbing hand this time and shoved through the kitchen door. His mother eyed him warily, wanting to ask why he was here and not there, but she went back to washing the dishes without another word. 

"Levi!" His father called after him, but Maxim stood and held up a calming hand. "Do you mind?" he asked, and his father shook his head. 

"By all means," was his response. 

Maxim smiled graciously and nodded. When he entered the kitchen, he eyed Leana and lowered his head slightly. "Would you let Levi and I have a word?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, of course. Take all the time you need," she murmured, curtsying before leaving to join her mate. It was rather taboo to leave prospective omega and alpha mates alone in a room, but it wasn't hard to guess that Levi's parents were -that- desperate. At least if Maxim took Levi before paying they could sue him for a pretty penny. 

Levi was standing at the counter with a glass of water in his hand. He clutched it, his eyes narrowing at the wall and cabinet in his line of vision. "I'm not interested in an alpha," he growled. 

"Oh, I know you aren't," Maxim said, crossing his arms behind his back like the dignified colonel he was. He stepped forward slowly, each heavy foot step meant to sound as imposing as they did. "But you will be soon. It's only a matter of making you submit." 

"Making me submit," Levi scoffed. "Scarier alphas than you have tried. And failed." It was a lie but he didn't need to add that. 

Levi was about to turn on Maxim, but he had miscalculated how close the man was and he quickly found himself back-side to pelvis with the large man. Just as he was about to hiss a protest, the back of his neck was seized and he was coaxed forward so his chest was pressed against the counter. It was a stupid move on the alphas part seeing as how he had underestimated Levi's strength. He could just throw the man off with a flick of his- 

No. Something was wrong. His entire body felt like it was paralyzed. His brain was barking out orders but his nerves were refusing to deliver. His eyes widened as he realized he was somehow completely immobilized. 

"You can't move can you?" Maxim chuckled. "Do you think you're the first disobedient omega I've worked with? My second omega- she was a surly one. Just as trashy and new-age as you. Some omegas don't respond as they should to gentling, unfortunately. But your bodies have developed other ways for your alphas to control you. It's just nature." Levi realized that it was the hand gripping the back of his neck that was preventing his movement.

"You see, my palm is digging right into a pressure point here at the base of your neck. It immobilizes you- like those damned titans." Oh, if Levi could move, he would have torn Maxim's throat out for comparing him to one of those monsters. He swallowed, but couldn't take any further action. "There are others too. Here-" 

Maxim's hand brushed up under his shirt and a calloused thumb traced down his spine until it found what it was looking for and pushed in. Levi's hips instinctively pressed back against Maxim's groin and he whimpered. -Whimpered-. Holy fuck he was so embarrassed. He didn't even know these pressure points existed, let alone how to fight back against them. 

"You're going into heat soon," Maxim continued. "I can smell it on you. In no time you'll be positively -begging- for me to fill you up. I'm sure your father won't mind if I confirm your purity." His deep chuckle resounded hollowly against Levi's back. 

Levi was bright red by the time Maxim stopped talking. It didn't take much to embarrass him, but then again he'd never been in this position before. He was practically in a modified mounting position and it was humiliating. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak. He was powerless. From his line of vision he could see the glass of water he had long since abandoned. It was sitting right at the edge of the counter with his fingers just inches away. If he could just muster up the strength to push it off-

A loud crash resounded as the glass fell and shattered. Levi could feel his wits returning to him as Maxim jumped back on reflex, releasing Levi from his hold. He could feel Maxim's eyes on his back and could hear the sharpness in his voice as he absconded through the back door and into the dirty alleyway.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the two lovebirds are brought back together...
> 
> I think you should all be aware that lovebirds aren't quite as loving as you would think. Anyway, enjoy!

Levi's only advantage was that his body was small and he knew his way from the Underground District to Sina. A day like this- where the sun was out and the wind was calm- would prove helpful to his escape. The Garrison hardly had time to keep out illegals when they could be drinking in the sun and playing cards. Of course that would all change when their Colonel breached the border. He needed to put as much distance between Maxim and himself as possible, because there was no doubt he would gather up all his men in pursuit. 

And it went without saying that his capture could mean a number of things- Death, Violation, perhaps a Fine, or worse yet, actually having to become the third omega of an asshole colonel who would undoubtedly keep him around as a personal fuck toy slash punching bag. He sneered, the thoughts only pushing him on further. When he breached the border between Sina and the underground district, he was relieved to find no guards occupying their stations. He wondered if Maxim would rip them a new asshole for letting his prize get away. 

No. He wasn't a prize. He wasn't an object. He was a goddamn human being and just because his instincts told him to submit, didn't mean he had to. He was going to survive and he could do it on his own dammit. 

Levi could sense more than hear that Maxim was hot on his trail. While omegas were built for flight, alphas were still intended to be much more dynamic than them. If he had been any other omega his endurance would have died out by now and he'd be on the other end of a fierce beating. 

Gears turned inside his mind and cranked out numbers. Where was he going to go? Sina was only so big and Walls Rose and Maria were out of the question. He had no contacts and no real desire to live inside of the furthest walls. He supposed if push came to shove he'd make due, but if he could avoid it he would. 

His eyes scanned his surroundings as he ran through the streets, rousing suspicious looks from the strolling bourgeoisie. If he continued like this the possibility of him being fingered out was increased significantly. He turned down a vacant alley- briefly amazed at how an alleyway could be so much cleaner than the entire Underground District- and scaled the side of the building. He caught himself on the scaffolding and continued from there, jumping from building to building with ease. It was an odd thing to do in broad daylight, seeing as his Sina excursions usually fell around midnight. 

When running became too strenuous, Levi flattered himself out on the rooftop, peering over the edge. He could see the familiar jackets of both Garrison and Military Police members searching for him. He was sure the hype was over an omega who actually -ran- from a prospective alpha mate. Omegas were biologically wired to crave the attention of alphas. He could hear their jeers of 'ungrateful mutt', and 'pitiful sewer rat'. With a sigh, he crawled back and pushed himself into a sitting position so he could catch his breath. They must have been scouring the whole city for him by now. It was funny how an alpha's hurt pride could cause such a manhunt. Didn't they have anything better to do? 

"Levi." 

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Where was he today? Much too far in his head for his liking. He jumped to his feet, poised to run. His pupils must have been the size of his entire iris with how on edge he was. He felt like a cat, skittish and ready to run at the slightest sound. He didn't even notice Maxim scale the building and pull himself up onto the scaffolding which was unusual for someone who could hear a pin drop fifty yards off. Someone of Maxim's size should have made some sort of noise. Levi took a slow step back, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. 

"Levi, wait," Maxim said. His hands were out, palms up, with his arms tucked at his sides. His back was bent forward slightly and he looked at Levi from under his brow- trying to appear smaller and less threatening but Levi wasn't fooled. "We got off on the wrong foot didn't we?" Levi snorted at that and Maxim's look of annoyance didn't escape his scrutiny. "Alphas have instinct just the same as omegas. I didn't mean to scare you," he extended his hand in welcome. "But we both know the extent of what might happen to you if you're caught by the Military Police." 

Levi knew and it was hilarious because he had already decided it was a better fate than third omega to a cocky, prideful alpha. It wasn't only a matter of what Maxim would do to him once they were bonded, but two rival omegas was hardly a desirable fate. If he attacked them in any manner, Maxim could easily have him hanged or sent off to some brothel hidden God knows where. And his type- the fiery and disobedient type- were left chained up to be fucked by forty different alphas a day. He shuddered at the thought and glared at Maxim. 

"Easy Levi," Maxim said, taking a few extremely slow and cautious steps forward. "Easy." Maxim's voice didn't gentle him like it was intended. It only made him panic more. His valuable time was being picked to pieces. He needed Maxim off his guard so he could sprint and hopefully trip the man up. Once Maxim was close enough, Levi's increased range of sight picked up on a twitch of his muscular calves beneath standard white uniform pants. Levi turned and took off in the same fraction of a second that Maxim lunged at him. Fingers grazed his ankle, but he was to the next building and running for his life by the time Maxim was able to pull himself back up. 

He could hear Maxim yell something unintelligible to the men below him. Levi had never felt this degree of anxiety in his life, and his capers had cut it a little too close for comfort at times. It was torturous sprinting across the uneven scaffolding of the roofs. He could feel his ankle fighting against the urge to twist and sprain as slates slid loose beneath him. 

Soldiers were beginning to climb up verandas and fire stairs per Maxim's orders. Levi knew he couldn't continue on the way he was going. He swallowed, eyeing the buildings across from the ones he was currently sprinting along. He only had seconds to time it and he had to hope his years of practice would ring true. As he ran, he veered off to the outermost edge of the apartments, then stopped and turned, sprinting towards the front. He pushed himself off the ledge and just barely caught onto the roof of the opposite apartment complex. It was a fucking stupid and risky move, but he made it. He pulled himself up and ran to the other side, dropping off the roof and into the alleyway connected to it. He sprinted down the alley, sighing in relief when no Military Police guards crossed his path. 

\---

"Fuck. My head." Erwin kneaded his palm against his forehead, groaning loudly. He accidentally drank too much the night before and now he felt the nauseating symptoms of a mean hang over. 

Mike laughed at him, slapping him on the back. "Learn to take your liquor better," he said. 

"Oh yes, because it's just that easy," Erwin grumbled in reply. 

It seemed to be a tradition now between the two of them; Every day after a particularly intense celebration they would walk to the corner store so Erwin could get medication for his hang over. It was a rare thing for Erwin to be inside Wall Sina. It was far more common for Survey Corps soldiers to spend their time where they were based in Wall Maria, but his father was Captain of the King's Guard so Erwin had an apartment nearby for visiting purposes. 

Lucky for Mike and Erwin, they were issued the occasional holiday for their outstanding work, along with other varying Survey Corps ranks. 

As they approached the corner store, Erwin could already hear the shrill cries of children. He cringed and stopped in his tracks, looking at Mike beseechingly. "Could you please...get the medicine for me? The kind I like? I can't go in there with those children running loose." 

Mike laughed and shook his head. "Sure," he said, patting Erwin's back. "Wait here. I'll be back." 

Erwin didn't mind waiting. The sun felt somewhat nice, anyway. He sighed and closed his eyes, pacing back and forth. The wind was blowing gently, whispering through his hair and tousling it in a manner that reminded him of his childhood. 

Footsteps roused him from his reverie and as soon as he opened his eyes a child ran directly into his relaxed form. Still, the weight wasn't enough to knock him off his feet and he placed a fatherly hand on the young boy's head. "Take care of where you're running little one," he sighed. 

"Little one?" Levi sounded absolutely appalled and it didn't go unnoticed. When he looked up and caught eyes with Erwin, the blonde was hit with immediate recognition. Levi didn't plan to stick around for long, however, and he made for a sprint, but was caught firmly by the arm.

"You?" Erwin gaped. 

Levi glared at him, ready to attack, but Erwin's familiar face didn't go unnoticed. His eyes went slightly wide and he was sure he'd been surprised more today than he had ever been previously in his life. "You," he drawled back. He hadn't recognized him without that stupid Survey Corp uniform. "Let go of me!" 

"No," Erwin replied, trying to hide how Levi's voice upset his headache. 

The footsteps were growing louder and Levi was beginning to panic again. He gripped Erwin by the face and pulled him back, forcing the larger man's body to shield his. "What are you doi-" Before he could finish, Levi pulled him down and mashed their lips together. It was horrendously inexpert and almost laughable, but Erwin couldn't say he was complaining per say. 

Once the Military Police sprinted past them, Levi pushed Erwin away, wiping his own mouth with a sickened expression. "Disgusting," he spat, and Erwin quirked a brow. 

"In trouble?" He asked. 

"Yeah," Levi replied. 

"Again?" 

"Yeah." 

"I'm not surprised really. Only it seems you've progressed from larceny?" It was true that Erwin and Levi had had a very rich (yet until now, anonymous) history. If Erwin had been in uniform he would have had no other choice but to take Levi in, but as a civilian he was more interested in the strange boy than anything. "What are you running from?" 

"Let me go," Levi said, narrowing his eyes. 

"Why should I?" Erwin drawled. "You're in violation of some law, that much is obvious. I could turn you in right now. 

"I could snap your neck right now. Problem solved," Levi hissed back. 

"But you won't," Erwin said in a tone that was more of a reminder than an assumption. "And even if you did, you'd get caught by the Military Police in a matter of seconds. The murder of an alpha does not garner a pretty sentence."

Levi challenged his gaze, the omega instinct that would have told him to look away surprisingly lacking. "You let me go once before," he whispered, as if they might be overheard. "Let me go." 

Erwin didn't want to let him go, in truth. He had been entranced by the boy since he had first gazed upon his lithe form. The opportunity may never arise again. "Let me help you," Erwin said without a second thought, any remnant of his hangover long forgotten. 

"You can't," Levi growled, trying to pry his hand away. If he hurt Erwin the Military Police would be immediately alerted and he'd be screwed. "Just let me go!" 

Maxim should have caught onto his distress by now. He was probably mere yards away. Levi was surprised he hadn't been caught already, honestly, not with this big lug holding onto him with his meaty vice grip- And suddenly he could hear footsteps and he was panicking again. It was terrible because it would only lead them more easily to him. "Let me go!" he yelled, hitting Erwin in the chest with his small balled up fist. It pained him that he couldn't seriously hurt the alpha in order to escape. He looked at Erwin with his eyebrow furrowed and his pupils the size of dinner plates. He gripped Erwin's shirt and was positive he'd never looked this terrified in his entire life. "If you have any common decency- even a sliver. You'll let me go," he whispered, the desperation evident in his voice. He'd never begged in his life. He never would have reduced himself to do something so heinous, but he had no other choice. 

Erwin stared at him, clearly shocked. He slowly, agonizingly slowly, released Levi's wrist, but when the boy turned to run past the towering blonde, a group of Military Police were already marching towards him down the street. He turned to run the opposite way, but Maxim was leading another group. The alleys were already blocked and there were no visible routes of escape. He was trapped beside that stupid fucking Survey Corps asshole. "You just signed my death warrant," Levi whispered. 

"Shit," Erwin murmured. "Seriously what did you do?" He wasn't expecting an entire army to be in pursuit of the juvenile.

"Levi," Maxim said, his tone harsh and commanding- the kind of tone an alpha used to scold their omega mate. He was getting far, far too ahead of himself. Levi back up and into Erwin on accident, slightly repulsed by the man, but as much as he felt repulsed he also felt a fleeting sensation of security. Compared to Maxim's presence at least. 

"I'm not going to be your mate," Levi snarled. 

"Mate!?" Erwin stared at Levi with wide eyes, and then Maxim. "Wait- You ran from a prospective alpha mate?" It was whispered this time so only Levi could hear, but the boy didn't make any indication he was even listening. "You ran from -Maxim Calabri-?" he added harshly. "Are you crazy?" He grasped Levi's shoulder and leaned in. "That guy is -insane-, Levi." It was the first time he's said the Omega's name and it tasted slightly sweet on his tongue despite the circumstances.

Levi's instincts could only be suppressed so far and with the intensity of the alpha gazes on him, he was forced to look back down at his feet, though his glare and tense jaw remained the same. 

"Hey! What in the Hell is going on here!" A voice in the crowd bellowed authoritatively. A stern, middle aged man pushed through the mass of soldiers, an expression of pure, unadulterated irritation on his face. He was joined by Levi's father, who struggled to force his way to the front of the crowd. 

"Dad?" Both Erwin and Levi asked in tandem, twin looks of confusion on their faces. They looked to one another immediately after, Levi looking peeved and Erwin looking as if he'd been thrown deeper into the confusion. 

Levi wished the soldiers had been about fifty less. If there had only been ten or so of them he could have made an escape during the frenzy, but it was impossible now. 

"Erwin?" the Captain of the Guard called out to his son, raising an eyebrow. "Maxim, what is the meaning of this chaos? and why is my son in the middle of it? You've frightened our citizens half to death." 

"Your son? Ah, yes, well Alfred, sir, he must have been off duty then and apprehended the small one there when he saw us chasing him. I was in the midst of taking him on as my own, and he ran, so I pursued," Maxim explained. 

"Running from an alpha that's paid the proper bride price is a serious offense, young man," Alfred said, eyeing Levi. The boy sneered. It was just so fucking patronizing. 'I know', he wanted to say. 

"Well," Erwin said in Levi's place, clearing his throat. "He had a good reason for running." 

"He did?" Alfred asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"I did?" Levi drawled. 

"He did," Erwin confirmed. "A really good reason- He ran because...You see, the reason he ran from Colonel Maxim is...well. He ran because he doesn't want to be bonded with him." 

"He doesn't have a choice," Alfred sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was very familiar with his son's antics. "It still is no excuse to-" 

"He doesn't want to be bonded with him because he wants to be bonded with me!" Erwin said loudly before Alfred could finish. 

"What?" Alfred asked, quirking his brow and was repeated by Maxim who was nearly growling.

"...What?" Levi whispered in a hiss. 

Erwin scooted closer to Levi and put a hesitant arm around him. "We're...we're in love. Right...sweetie?" 

No. No they were most certainly not in love. Levi wanted to vomit but he didn't have a choice. At least he could manipulate Erwin into letting him go since he was clearly an imbecile. "Right...Honey." Oh God he could taste the vomit in his mouth. 

Maxim was seething and it was grossly apparent. "I don't believe you." 

"No, no. It's true. We're madly in love. I was just on my way to speak with Levi's father-err..." He spotted the only man in the crowd that wasn't in uniform and bowed his head slightly to him. "I was prepared to pay top dollar. Whatever bride price you asked for. My...dear, sweet Levi is worth...the world to me." He chanced a smile down at Levi who was panting with the rage building inside of himself. From beneath the lash to the rack, it looked like. Oh, if he got out of this alive and free he was going to rip Erwin's throat out. 

"Ha," Maxim snorted, his true alpha pride radiating off of him. "You couldn't afford him on a Survey Corps salary." He turned to Levi's father. "I'll pay you double what I offered before." 

"I'll pay triple what he offered!" Erwin bellowed. He could feel his own hackles rising now for reasons unknown. Maybe it was instinct or pride or simply the moment, but he felt the nagging sensation to win. It was a sickening feeling- Levi wasn't a prize to be won. 

"You couldn't afford that if you saved every penny you'd earned from birth," Maxim growled, snapping his teeth in warning, but Erwin felt unmoved. 

Levi's father was obviously trying in earnest to calculate the profit in his head. His eyes shined greedily with the prospect of a haughty sum. 

"Maxim, remember who you're speaking to," Alfred warned. He looked back to Erwin. "Why didn't anyone else know about this supposed love of yours?" he asked sharply and with an air of suspicion. Erwin was at a loss, but not for longer than was necessary.

"Erwin! I got the wine. Now let's gussy you up so you can go to Levi's father, and- Oh." Mike stopped midway, the wine grasped in his hand held high above his head. "...Am I interrupting something?" 

Great. Who was this asshole? Levi closed his eyes. What had happened to his life? He felt like he was in a stage comedy and there was no end to it in sight. He half wished one of the soldiers had impaled him on their sword. 

Alfred looked between Mike and Erwin, the irritation and suspicion not leaving his face. "Let me rephrase that. Why wasn't -I- informed of this illicit love?" 

"Well," Erwin said, trying to think quickly. "Since...Levi's next heat is coming up, we wanted to wait until then. So when we bonded it would be...a strong bond. If anyone else knew, they might have tried to take Levi for themselves." He looked pointedly in Maxim's direction. 

Oh God. Oh Fuck no. Fuck that. Levi was bright red. He wanted to kill Erwin. God how he just wanted to punch a hole in his chest and rip out his stupid beating heart. He turned towards him, and while it may have looked like he was being adorably bashful he was really digging his fingers as hard as he could into Erwin side, chanting a string of 'I am going to kill yous' under his breath. 

"You're serious about this, then?" Alfred asked. "And just when I'd resigned myself to the fact that I'd never see the day you took on a mate. Fine. Whatever you can't afford, I'll pay in your place." 

It was beyond generous, and it might have been a stupid thing to say on Alfred's part. Now Levi's father could demand any sum of money, but he wasn't exactly an intelligent man. He could believe whatever amount he could think up would be a surplus, but in actuality it was a mere chink in Alfred's wallet. "My only condition is that he is mated as soon as his heat hits. I won't have this be one of your little charity cases. Guards will be posted outside of your apartment at every hour of the day to ensure no other alphas try to claim your prize and I'll have your apartment heat-locked post haste." He moved across the crowd to Levi's father, standing tall. "I apologize for the unconventionality of it, but if you'd simply follow me, I will reimburse you for your troubles." 

Maxim growled, grabbing Alfred's shoulder. "You can't let him take -my- omega! I was going to buy him first! I have rights! I'll simply battle him for the trashy little slut." 

Alfred glared at Maxim over his shoulder. "Don't forget you still have two omegas and a pup at home, Maxim. You wouldn't want to do something you'd regret on account of your prideful instincts."

Levi felt a sick sense of satisfaction as Maxim stormed away like a pouty child. 

"Come on," Erwin murmured down to him. "My apartment is this way."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I can't believe all the amazing comments, kudos, and bookmarks I got! I am really lucky to have such great viewers who keep my ego up! 
> 
> This chapter isn't anything to boast about and I haven't processed it through a beta yet, so I hope there aren't any glaring mistakes I might have missed. Thank you so, so much for reading. This was originally going to be a one-shot, but it start getting so immensely long I decided to chop the beginning into two chapters and now it's even longer than previously expected!

Erwin had never seen Levi up close before. It had always been quick, ragged glances during pursuit and even then only if he was lucky. But now, as he observed the boy that was currently perched on top of his book shelf, he noticed for the first time that Levi was far from the big scary monster Erwin's ranks had made him out to be. On the contrary- Levi was no different from a small and frightened child, try as he might to cover it up with that surly attitude of his.

As soon as they had entered the apartment, Mike had said his goodbyes and Levi had retreated immediately for the bookshelf. Erwin hadn't even heard him climb it, but by the time he locked his door and turned around there he was, like a prowling cat, gauging Erwin carefully. 

"Levi, please come down," Erwin sighed. He felt significantly aged after the events of the day. It seemed as though even a titan couldn't instill the same kind of anxiety in him as this small boy. He should have known as much from their previous encounters. He was a small omega, probably frightened after a long day of running for what could have potentially been his life. Levi wasn't responding and Erwin wouldn't have been surprised if Levi had dozed off up there. A couple long minutes went by before Erwin spoke again. "I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. 

"Fuck you," Levi hissed in reply, his head whipping from its hard gaze at the wall to Erwin and then back again. 

Erwin frowned, his brows knitting together. If it hadn't been for him Levi would have been screwed, literally and figuratively. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "That's a hell of a thing to say to the guy that just saved your life." 

Levi didn't reply. He merely kept his gaze hard and firm on the slightly bruising créme wallpaper. Although Erwin's apartment had it's imperfections, it was far cleaner than the rot and decay of the underground district. Half of the roads were covered in piss and shit and corpses were left to decompose where they fell. In an attempt to remedy the mass of blockage, teams of citizens had teamed up to burn the bodies but that only left a smell more putrid than what the raw sewage produced. That was the only thing Levi liked about Sina- It was so clean and the air was so fresh. 

Erwin watched him. He was like a petulant child that needed to be disciplined, but Erwin was not one to entertain the idea of such a thing. He'd always hung on to the hope that he would never have to force his omega to submit- but then again he had always imagined himself bonding with an omega he loved. Alphas didn't care for perfect bonds as much as omegas did, but it did do much to soothe the stresses they faced from day to day. He sighed and lowered his voice. "I was helping you," he said, as if it wasn't obvious. The least Levi could do was show a little gratitude. 

The man didn't have the physical capacity to react quick enough to the pale mass that was suddenly launched at him. It happened faster than his brain could calculate and he was surprised such a tiny thing could move so quickly and with so much force. He was knocked onto his back which effectively knocked the wind out of him. A small, bony hand wrapped around his neck before he could recollect his wits and pressed it's thin palm against his Adam's apple. "You think you saved my life? You think you helped me?" Levi hissed, his knee digging harshly into Erwin's muscular thigh. He narrowed his eyes, applying pressure to the blonde's throat. "You weren't helping me," he said, his voice low and predatory like an Alphas. "You were helping myself. You took me from under the thumb of one shitty soldier to the next. You think just because it's you, I should feel happy? The pride of an alpha really knows no bounds." 

The pressure of Levi's joints was cutting into Erwin like dull knives. He realized that underneath those big clothes and that small frame there had to have been some sort of muscle. He knew that Levi was strong and he knew that Levi was fast, but he hadn't experienced the full extent of it until now. "I'm not trying to patronize you Levi," he said slowly. 

Levi raised an eyebrow. Erwin swallowed and could feel Levi's palm more fully. "I'm not," he continued. "I wasn't trying to trick you." 

Levi's eyes flashed with anger once more and he clenched his fingers, forcing his palm more harshly down. "Ha," he scoffed. 

"Maxim would have forced you to submit to him one way or another and if you didn't he would have killed you." He gauged the conflict in Levi's eyes before going on. "I...won't force you. I have no intention of forcing you. I don't know where we'll go from here, but if I let you go the manhunt will only continue. Aside from the guards my father has stationed, there's no doubt that Maxim will have his own men at the ready to apprehend you if you step foot out of this apartment." 

Levi swallowed, his grip loosening. It was true. He was trapped. He looked away, shifting his weight so he was less crushing on top of Erwin. 

"I just need a few days to think of something. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Erwin felt like a broken record but he wanted his point to get across as effectively as he could. 

Levi rolled his eyes and stood, stepping back cautiously. "You couldn't if you tried," he hissed, turning. 

Erwin noticed the filth that had accumulated on the pure white outfit that was most likely Levi's ceremony attire and could sense more than see the discomfort Levi felt by it. "Would you like a change of clothes? Well...you won't fit in my day clothes, but I should have a shirt and a pair of sweat pants?" 

The offer was pathetic, but Levi hated how grimy the clothes felt on his skin. He rolled his eyes and turned away from Erwin. "Fine." 

Erwin smiled slightly. It was progress at least. "Give me a second. I'll be right back." He didn't mean to sound too eager, but Levi reminded him of a prissy cat he'd once had. His mother bought him the damned thing for his tenth birthday and it was a brat to him from day one. After informing his best friend about the situation, Mike had gone out and bought him a book about breaking in smaller domestic animals. Surprisingly, the literature had proved useful. After following the techniques it had offered, Rosy had warmed up to him in no time. Would it be awful to treat Levi like a prissy childhood cat?

Maybe he'd buy Levi a collar as a joke, but that would probably make him mad. Erwin paused in the threshold to his bedroom. He briefly had to wonder how he could have had such a blatantly perverse thought without a single hesitation. He wiped his face, the redness beginning to seep into it. Levi wouldn't look half bad in a collar. 

Levi watched as Erwin left, sighing a breath of relief. He felt suffocated in the apartment with that infuriating man. He rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand and eyed a window situated against the wall parallel with the bookshelf. He hurried to it, throwing the curtains open and unlatching the lock so he could push the double pane glass out. The window opened and fresh air immediately rushed at him. He felt less nauseated now. He hated being couped up. A minuscule, sovereign smile tugged at his lips as he peered out, ready to escape but something in the distance caught his attention first. 

The opposite apartment building- which was clearly unoccupied but civilians- had it's own window open. Two Garrison soldiers were situated inside, one staring insipidly while the other held a pair of binoculars. The three stared off for a long time until the binocular-wielding soldier held up his free hand, waving it once. Levi could see the smug look on his face, even across the distance. 

He growled and slammed the window closed, shutting the curtains again for good measure. He really was trapped. 

"Are you okay?" Erwin's voice asked from behind, more with worry than interrogation. "Needed some fresh air?" 

"Yeah," Levi replied, the irritation not gone from his voice. He was looking anywhere but at Erwin, choosing to ignore his offending presence for the time being. Erwin approached him, but Levi kept his attention averted. 

"Here." He handed Levi the thick bundle of garments and tilted his chin up a bit. Levi wrenched his face away, then glared at Erwin, put off by the bold movement. "Sorry," Erwin said, gesturing to a chestnut door on the other side of the apartment now that he had Levi's attention. "Bathroom's that way. You must be hungry; What do you like to eat?" 

"Something edible," Levi murmured, holding the garments to his chest. He walked stiffly in the direction of the bathroom, feeling more uncomfortable the longer he stood in Erwin's presence. 

\---

Levi didn't find qualms in taking his time. He sat in the bathroom, alone, basking in the near silence. All that could be heard outside of his own thoughts were the clanking of pots and pans. What was he going to do? He had fiercely lived by the belief that there was always a way out. You could be chained and locked up and beaten half to death and there was still a way of escape. The apartment felt like a fortress- only more than that. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. 

When he pulled on the sweats he wasn't surprised by how loose they were on him. If he pulled his hand away, they indefinitely fell back around his ankles. It was frustrating, to say the least, but he focused on the shirt for the time being. When he slipped the sleeves past his arms, they hung past his hands as if on a child. There was no end to his embarrassment. At least the hem reached far past any indecent parts on him considering the measurements of the sweats were laughable. Although he didn't know if that was something to be grateful for or resentful of. 

Levi had to resign himself to the fact that, no matter how he tried to adjust himself, he could not look any less like a child in its parent's clothing. He caught his reflection in the mirror, something that wasn't "healthy" for an omega to do, and sighed. Unmated omegas were often deterred from viewing their own reflections. It wasn't attractive for an omega to feel pride in their own appearance after all. Alphas, on the other hand, were encouraged to indulge in the image of themselves. 

He opened the door and stepped into the living space that it was connected to. It was then that a decadent smell invaded his senses. It smelled hearty- like it had come straight out of a hearth. The baker and butcher in Sina both had one and the earthy smoke it produced was not unlike what he was smelling now. 

Erwin either hadn't heard him or hadn't cared to acknowledge him because he paid no mind when Levi finally revealed himself after nearly an hour. The smell was enticing to Levi who wasn't quite used to any good smells. He gravitated cautiously towards Erwin. "These bottoms are too big," he said.

Erwin startled, indicating he hadn't heard Levi. Erwin, who usually had more than capable hearing, was shocked at how dangerous the hostile and stealthy boy was to him. Levi could have silently snapped his neck and he would have been none the wiser. When he finally turned to fully observe the problem, it took everything in him to stifle a laugh. 

"Here, let me help you." Erwin reached out and clasped his hand onto the trousers, though the grasp didn't last for more than a fraction of a second. Levi's leg shot up and kneed the invasive man in the Solar Plexus. Erwin gasped loudly, falling to his knees as the wind was knocked out of him. 

"Fucking...dammit," Erwin gasped, gulping in an attempt to trap as much air in his lungs as he could. 

Levi stepped back, watching him squirm with a raised eyebrow. His mouth quirked to the side and he looked at his feet. "Don't touch me," was all he said. No apology was needed. Erwin shouldn't have stepped into his comfort zone. He hadn't really meant to hurt the idiotic blonde- It was all reflex. 

Erwin slowly rose to his feet, clutching the area that sheltered his ribs as it ached mercilessly. "Dammit Levi," he hissed. He coughed violently, the gesture only causing him greater discomfort. His recovery time was slightly better than the average human thanks to extensive training. 

"Don't call me Levi," Levi added, taking another step back. 

A long silence fell between them as Erwin struggled to catch his breath. "Listen," he groaned, pointing sternly. "Inside the hem...there's a draw string. Pull it to tighten the waistband and then tie it off so it'll stay up."

At first Levi was slightly confused, but once he managed to flip the hem of the sweats up, he noticed the thick white drawstring. He pulled it, tightening the pants, and then tied it off. He stared at Erwin as if he wasn't sure whether he should stay angry or say thank you. 

Erwin stood to his full height, riding the pain out so he could turn off the stove. He didn't need Levi's recklessness to ruin their meal. "I made beef stew. I should have asked this before, but do you have any allergies?" he grumbled, resigning himself to that fact that Levi only acted brashly because he had invaded his personal space. 

"Allergies?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yeah...you know, foods that don't settle well with your stomach, make you break out into a rash, close up your throat?" 

Levi stared harder. Erwin began to squirm under the omega's scrutiny which felt off. It should have been the other way around. Levi wasn't quite like any omega he had experienced. In fact, he was almost positive Levi was one of a kind. 

"So no allergies then?" Erwin asked dumbly. 

Levi finally turned his gaze away and laughed once, loudly, then shut his mouth and turned away to examine the room. 

Erwin quirked a brow, a smile plastering itself on his face. "Hey," he said, the laughter not lacking in his own voice. 

"What?" Levi replied sharply, glaring at him with hawk's eyes. 

Erwin watched him, taking in his lithe form. He was built like an omega, had the gait of an omega, but his personality didn't ring omega in any sense. He was stubborn and impertinent and at times even a little condescending. He wondered briefly if Levi would change once a good alpha managed to catch him. It was a selfish thought- Levi clearly wasn't interested in any alpha- but he felt a slight inclination to be the one to tame him. "Nothing," Erwin replied, finally. "You laughed." 

Levi grimaced. "I didn't laugh." 

"You did," Erwin said, finally recovered from his injury. Luckily Levi knew what he was doing and hadn't used full force. He reached one of the top cabinets and pulled out two ornate bowls. "You look so much better with a smile on your face." 

"I'll be sure never to do it again, then," Levi growled. He pulled a chair out from the small, four-seater kitchen table and sat down, crossing his arms over his chest. Erwin was somewhat surprised Levi's posture was so terrible. When he stood, he stood tall to make himself look less like the tiny omega he was. The alpha had to wonder if Levi's slumped down posture meant he was at least a little comfortable with the man.

"You don't have to be so resistant to everything you know." Erwin said it calmly while ladling out stew. The smell had permeated every inch of the kitchen and the only thing that could be heard aside from their voices was the growling of a hungry stomach. 

"I don't do anything to suit an alpha's tastes," Levi spat. "If I want to laugh it won't be because I 'Look better' doing it." He said the last part mockingly and it was all he could do not to gag. 

"Hm," Erwin hummed, setting the stew down in front of Levi and then retreating to his own chair. "Why are you so against alphas?" he asked, stirring his soup to allow it time to cool off. 

"I'm not against alphas. I'm against anyone that tries to run other people's lives. The only people that try to run other people's lives just o happen to be alphas," Levi said. 

Erwin hummed again, thoughtfully, and took a bite of his stew. He had expected Levi to be silent during dinner considering (by the sounds his stomach was making) he must have been starving. It was no small wonder why the boy was so slight. "It's not drugged or anything you know." 

Shockingly, that seemed to be enough for Levi as he dug in moments later, making no small effort to retain himself. 

"And that's not true, you know," Erwin stated casually. 

Levi scoffed between mouthfuls. "Name one person in power that isn't an alpha."

Erwin sat back, thinking. "The prince is a beta." 

"The prince is a beta," Levi repeated, rolling his eyes. "The prince isn't in power. The king is an alpha and when he dies, do you think the prince is going to become the new king?" 

Erwin shrugged. "You never know." 

"I -do- know," Levi drawled. "It doesn't matter where you are or what you're worth, if you aren't born an alpha you're dropped to the bottom of the barrel."

"It doesn't have to be like that," Erwin murmured, earning a sharp glance from Levi. 

"Oh?" Levi asked. 

"Well, it's just biology. If omegas were born with the leadership skills then they'd be leaders," Erwin said. "Omegas are biologically more fit for things like...house work and child care. Omegas are nurturing and careful and...and...cleanly." 

Levi's look was one of pure, irritated disbelief. "You are incredibly vapid," he commented. 

\---

Although dinner hadn't gone as Erwin had planned it to, his pride wasn't hurt. Levi was still young and he came from a rougher life than the blonde had ever known so he didn't blame him for his radical views. "Levi," Erwin said, gesturing towards his large bed. Although it was a Queen meant for two mates, it was to Erwin what a Twin was to a normal sized person. He wouldn't have minded sharing it with a mate, however.

When Levi followed Erwin's command and entered the room, his brow rose. "You have got to be kidding me. I'm not sleeping in the same bed as you. I'll sleep on the couch. 

Erwin sighed. "I wasn't...no. You sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the floor. I have an extra futon. 

He had already rolled the old thing out, and it was hilariously too small for him. It would have made more sense for Levi to sleep on the futon, and Erwin to sleep on the bed, but Erwin didn't quite deserve the bed Levi decided. He turned his nose up and frowned. "I don't want to sleep in the same room as you," he said. 

"I'm not going to try anything," Erwin groaned. "Honestly, after today, all I'm interested in is a good night's sleep." He was already settling in on his tiny futon (Or attempting to at least) so Levi reluctantly did the same.

"If I even sense you near me I'll kill you," he warned. 

Erwin merely waved his hand and laid down, closing his eyes. Levi did the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow Erwin...what a faux pas!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter than previous chapters! 
> 
> It may take a little longer for chapters now since basically everything that was in my head is now written down so I need to figure out exactly where I want to take this fic! Honestly, before I began writing Chapters one and two were supposed to be chapter one, chapter two was supposed to be chapter three and four, and chapter three was going to be the porn, but now that I've written it all down and it's just so incredibly long the porn may take longer than expected. 
> 
> Don't look at me that way they need to warm up to each other first! Don't worry, next few chapters I promise!
> 
> (Also keep in mind these chapters aren't being beta'd now because I'm too trashy to wait for betas to read it so I'm sorry for any ugly, disgusting, horrendous mistakes.)

Erwin was awoken by the sound of something hitting the floor. In his sleepy haze he had automatically assumed Levi had rolled off the bed considering the boy had probably never experienced a real one in his life. He reached up and felt the surface of the mattress, trying to come in contact with even a sliver of Levi. For a moment, he considered going back to sleep, but he decided he would first take a peek at the sleeping omega to make sure he was alright. "Levi?" he called gently, peering over the ledge. There was a bundle of blankets in the middle of the bed looking awfully snug and comfortable, but paranoia was eating away at Erwin. He pulled back the blankets to reveal Levi was not snug and comfortable in the bed, followed by another thud. 

The rate by which he jumped to his feet and nearly broke down his own bedroom door into the living room was impressive. "Levi!?" he yelled, more panicked than angry or suspicious. 

It was curious how the room smelled like ammonia and other various chemicals, but he ignored it in favor of searching for the omega. He noticed a slew of cleaning supplies in the middle of the floor and walked to it, kicking one of the spray bottles with his toe. A bucket had been knocked over and there were filthy rags strewn about the supplies. Nearby, Erwin noticed that half of the fireplace had been scrubbed clean. It nearly looked brand new. He heard the slightest sound of ruffling and turned to see Levi propped up against the wall on the same high bookshelf he had been the day before. The alpha managed to relax a bit. 

"You scared me," Levi said. 

"That's strange," Erwin commented. "I didn't think of you as the type to get scared." 

"Of course I do. Anyone who tells you they are fearless is lying or a fool."

"Hm." 

Erwin watched him carefully, then crouched down to pick up the supplies that had been knocked over. "The apartment even smells clean," he said. "How early did you wake up?" By the looks of the bags under his eyes, quite early. 

"I didn't go to sleep," Levi clarified. "Do you really expect me to sleep in a strange environment with a strange man- alpha, I should say."

"So you cleaned?" Erwin asked. 

Levi didn't reply, but the air around him said it in his place. "I like to have at least a little control in my life." He jumped off of the bookcase and landed deftly on his feet. 

"I'm not unhappy," Erwin said, smiling. He ran his finger along a shelf and examined it. "It's immaculate." 

Levi straightened his back a bit, feeling a little proud at the compliment. It was true that some traits of his omega nature were unavoidable, but this he didn't so much mind. It sent balancing chemicals through his body that made him feel calm and happy- as long as he wasn't being objectified by his role, that was. 

Erwin smiled at him, the hormones bouncing between the two. For a moment nothing needed to be said between the two, and then the blonde placed a comforting hand on Levi's shoulder. He was surprised that Levi even let him. "See?" he asked quietly. "Omegas were meant for work like this." 

Levi's face immediately fell to one of contempt and he wrenched his shoulder away. "Fuck you," he hissed, moving to the fireplace so he could take all his rage out on scrubbing it's sooty bricks. Erwin felt a bit scandalized- Hadn't they been making some sort of progress. He gave a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair, slicking any stray strands back into place. 

"Well," he murmured. "The heat locking people are coming today. I told them to only send betas since I won't be at the apartment. I have to run some errands in town and, well, you can't come with me now unless we were bonded." 

The way Levi stopped and looked at him was slightly shocking to Erwin. "You're leaving?" Levi asked in a voice that didn't sound like his own. It sounded so...Omegan. Apprehensive, stressed, insecure. Instead of pointing it out, Erwin simply gave a succinct nod. 

"I won't be long. I promise." He crossed his heart and disappeared into the bathroom, slightly confused. Levi was truly an enigma and he resigned himself to accepting that fact. It seemed as though the more he tried to figure the omega out, the more lost he was. Maybe if he let come what may, things would be that much easier? He still needed to think of what he and Levi were going to do considering mating was out of the question. Maybe he'd talk to Hanji. 

\---

"You really said that to him? No wonder he hates you." Hanji laughed, popping a piece of kettle corn in her mouth (they had been selling it on the street for cheap). 

Erwin looked only slightly peeved. He and Hanij were friends after all and he -had- asked her opinion on the matter. "What exactly did I say that could have him so upset with me so constantly?" 

"Try everything that comes out of your mouth!" Hanji laughed again and elbowed Erwin in the ribs. "You know, for how smart you are you really don't have any tact with omegas. You work with too many alphas and betas, I think. Biologically speaking, it may be true that omegas are often inclined towards certain habits, but you're not supposed to point it out. Especially not to someone like Levi." 

"I thought omegas liked that kind of thing. Like...being complimented and praised and whatnot," Erwin sighed. "I still don't get why he's so upset." 

Hanji stopped and looked at Erwin hard. "Erwin, if you don't understand now then you probably never will. Omegas are..." she scratched her chin thoughtfully and closed her eyes. "Imagine being an omega. You see it every day on the streets but you're not aware of it. They're targeted, victimized, harassed- imagine if that was -you-. Imagine if you were small and the people that did those things to you were much, much bigger. Levi is strong but I imagine it's still scary. Any alpha on the street could grab you, rape you and claim you as their own or just kill you and nobody would care. Alpha mates can abuse their omegas without a second thought and get away with it...You'll never understand because you'll never have to face something like that. All you can really do is try to empathize." 

Erwin felt a pang of guilt seep into his nerves. No wonder Levi hadn't slept all night; No wonder he was so jumpy and skittish. He rubbed his chest, feeling the bruise left by Levi's attack the night before in the kitchen. "I didn't really think about it." 

"Of course not. You're an alpha. It's not something you have to worry about every second of your life." Hanji smacked him on the shoulder with the back of her hand and stopped to examine a vase set up on a small stand. The marketplace was rather quiet that morning so they could stroll leisurely without being shoved along the road. "Now imagine being Levi...a little thing trying to escape from poverty and an alpha-centric society. There's nowhere he can go really, nothing he can do but stay out of sight, and suddenly he finds himself between two influential, large, strange alphas-"

"I'm not strange," Erwin huffed. "We've met before." 

"Met before," Hanji mocked. "It doesn't count! Don't interrupt me." She whacked him again, teasingly, before continuing. "Anyway, you're in between these two large alphas that are bidding over you like you're nothing more than a trophy, in a public forum, with half the Garrison watching. I'm just saying, if it was me, I wouldn't exactly be singing your praises. Especially if you go on to take the one sliver of hope I had that you might be different from the other alphas by uttering that class-role malarky." 

Erwin didn't take Hanji's words lightly. When the alpha listened he listened well, especially when it came to Hanji's advice which had never failed him before. "I didn't really think of it that way. I just assumed he was an ungrateful brat." 

"I never said he wasn't," Hanji hummed. "For all your meticulousness Erwin, you don't get Levi and that's what scares you the most about him. Am I right?" 

"Who's the meticulous one?" Erwin chuckled. 

Hanji shrugged, flicking a piece of kettle corn at Erwin's forehead. "I can read you like a book Erwin."

"Right." Erwin rolled his eyes and entered a shop. Hanji followed on his tail with no real indication she had any clue what they were even there for. 

"What is this place?" she asked, looking around curiously. "A tailor? Did you rip your uniform again?" 

"No," Erwin said. "I had Mike place an order for me yesterday. He's better at approximating than I am." 

"Approximating?" Hanji asked, leaning on the counter as an elderly woman came hobbling forward. 

"Hello young men," she greeted in a fragile voice, adjusting her glasses. "How may I help you?" 

The greeting was overlooked as it often was and Erwin placed a bag of coins on the table. "I'm picking up an order for Erwin Smith." 

"Ah, yes." The elderly woman sniffed and leaned in, peering at Erwin closely. "You cut your hair, didn't you?" Although Erwin looked nothing like Mike, short hair or not, the thought that she would so easily confused them was a bit humorous. He smiled and looked to Hanji who looked just as confused as the old woman. "I have your order here." She placed the plastic-wrapped garments on the counter and took the coins with her feeble old hands. He had to question her skill with how decrepit she was, but Mike swore he would not allow Erwin to go to any other tailor. He only hoped her work would at least be adequate. "Young man," the elderly lady muttered. "Aren't those a bit too small for you? You'll rip them right off." 

The lewdness implication was not lost on the duo and the two had to look at each other to make sure the other had caught the intonation. "They're not for me," Erwin corrected. "They're for...my...omega. Back at home." It felt weird to say, especially after the talk he'd had with Hanji. 

"Ah," the old lady said, waving her hand dismissively. "Wonderful, wonderful. Take care then." 

"Take care," Erwin said, leading Hanji out of the tailor's. 

"Hey Erwin?" Hanji asked, looking up at him. 

Erwin exchanged her glance. "Hm?" 

"You'll-" Hanji batted her eyelashes and flipped her ponytail, eyeing Erwin with the goofiest excuse for a seductive glance he'd ever seen. "-rip them right off." 

Erwin shoved her, laughing slightly. "She did not say it like that Hanji." 

"She liiiiked yoouuu," Hanji teased, jabbing him in the side with her finger. Erwin rolled his eyes in return. 

"Hanji you're being ridiculous." He regained his composure and straightened his shirt. "Besides I have an omega to return home to at the moment. He may hate me and think I'm a terrible imbecile, but..." 

"But?" 

"But...my apartment is sparkling. That's all I've got." Erwin made an exaggeratedly upset expression for a moment before laughing again. He always enjoyed these little outings with Hanji. She made him feel so comfortable and carefree. He only wished he could make Levi feel the same way around him.

"Anyway. I've got the groceries and the freshly tailored clothes so I'm ready to go back." 

"Alright," Hanji said. He could hear the disappointment in her voice. He hated having to separate from Hanji because she always seemed so sad when they parted. He had always sensed more than anything that Hanji desired a companion- not a mate or a partner necessarily, but someone she could be with always with no conditions. He rubbed the back of his neck and shifted awkwardly. 

"Hey Hanji," he said. 

Although she had turned away, she was quick to turn back around. "Yes?" she asked quickly.

"Why don't you come for dinner? If I'm alone I'll just make a fool of myself and Levi will probably enjoy the company of someone that's not an alpha," Erwin reasoned. 

Hanji raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Isn't it your honeymoon? I don't want to intrude." 

"Nonsense," Erwin laughed. "Come on, he's must be getting restless now." 

\---

3 hours, 24 minutes, 10 seconds. 

That's how long Levi had been forced to sit in cooped up in Erwin's room. When the man had left he explained why Levi had to be locked in, but it all sounded like a ton of bullshit to Levi. If they were only sending betas, then what was the issue? Obviously he couldn't leave, because Maxim's men had been posted outside every hour on the hour (Levi checked periodically, just in case). It was irresponsible of Erwin to leave him trapped for so long and he wasn't about to let the man hear the end of it. 

He felt like he was about to go crazy. He had already tidied up the room to such a point that there was not a centimeter left to sterilize. His body twitched when he heard a key in the front door. The betas installing the heat lock had already left some time ago, so it could only be one person. His pupils were already dilated in anticipation and his heart rate was increasing with the impending freedom- or semi-freedom, more accurately. 

As soon as Erwin unlocked the bedroom door to relieve Levi of his prison, the boy launched himself out and tackled him to the ground. He should have expected it, but he hadn't prepared himself so he, once again, had the wind knocked out of him. 

Levi smacked his fist down on Erwin's chest, glaring hard. "Fuck you," he hissed. "How dare you leave me in there for so long you irresponsible asshole!" 

Erwin gasped, gripping his chest. "Stop...doing that," he wheezed, shoving Levi off. Levi rolled onto his hands and feet and then stood straight, his eyes still narrowed. He looked up at Hanji, then back at Erwin. 

"Who's that?" he asked. 

Hanji grinned at him, stepping over Erwin's fallen body. "I'm Hanji Zoë. Nice to meet you! I've heard so much about you."

Levi gauged her carefully before slowly extending his hand. "I'm Levi. I haven't heard anything about you." 

Hanji pouted. "Erwin, I am absolutely offended." She kicked him lightly in the side and he rolled onto his stomach, lifting himself back up with a groan. 

"It didn't come up between all the beatings, to be honest," he murmured, rocking on his feet for a moment as his body readjusted to being upright.

Levi watched them, the air around him changing slightly. He stepped around Erwin to Hanji's side and crossed his arms. "I like you much better than him," he said. 

Hanji smiled down at him, reaching up to ruffle his hair. He didn't look pleased, but he didn't counter her either. "As you should."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I'm sorry another slightly sub-par chapter! I started working and I am so exhausted OTL 
> 
> Anyway! Thank you again so so so so so so so so SO much for all your kind words and encouragements! You are all super fantastic! And you know I've had an AO3 account since around it began and I still don't know how to use it really...
> 
> I want to thank you lovely angels forever, but for now all I can do is offer you this new chapter! Finally the nerd babies are getting somewhere...
> 
> (I should mention Hanji's pronouns will switch off every chapter Hanji is featured to respect Isayama's wishes.)

Erwin could feel his skin prickling with the onset of goosebumps as he watched Hanji and Levi interact. It had hardly been an hour and the two were already talking low like old friends and snickering to one another. Erwin could feel how tightly he was strung- like a finely tuned instrument- and he had never been a jealous one. Something in him was dark and brooding like a bubbling concoction of the most malevolent ingredients. He closed his eyes and took another sip of his beer, sighing. He just needed to calm down. Hanji was no threat to him, being a beta, and Levi wasn't interested in mating with anyone after all-

-"I'm not interested in mating with any alpha."- 

Those had been his exact words. Erwin had been so anxious about Hanji and Levi's interacting that he hadn't even eaten any of the food he'd made. The other two, however, finished off his portion and more. The brew in his hand was beginning to get to his head. He probably shouldn't have drank so much on an empty stomach. Such was the life of such a reckless hopeless romantic. What had he been expecting? Some sort of love novella ending where Levi took his kindness to heart and fell head over heels? Instead he seemed to call him out on any romantic gesture he tried to make. It was devastating. Weren't omegas supposed to love that mushy shit? 

To Levi's credit, Erwin had to consider what Hanji had told him earlier. Levi is scared and different and resistant, but Erwin shouldn't be forceful with him. It went against everything Erwin had been told; If an omega was bad they had to be either gentled or punished and that was that. So why then, did Levi repute any attempt Erwin made at calming him? 

The man sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose, leaning back in his chair as he felt a dizziness settle over him. He continued eyeing Hanji and Levi with lidded eyes, his mouth set into a firm line. 

"I can't believe all that has happened to you, Levi," Hanji chuckled lowly. "The universe must really have it out for you." 

"It's all the larceny catching up with me no doubt," Levi sniffed, turning his nose up and looking away. He quirked a smile and turned his attention back to Hanji. "And now I'm stuck with this large imbecile." He gestured to Erwin with his thumb. 

"He's not an imbecile," Hanji snorted. "Quite the opposite actually. He's very intuitive and meticulous. Intelligent. He's really good for the survey corps." 

"Survey Corps," Levi said, rolling his eyes. 

"Hey!" Hanji elbowed him in the arm. "That's my anthem too, y'know."

"Isn't that just where they stick all the kids who aren't good enough to make it in the Garrison or Military Police?" 

"Sometimes," Hanji said. "But sometimes you get these kids that are so dedicated to reclaiming the world humanity lost. It's like...well, you know Erwin was in the top of his class- Number one actually- and he volunteered to be in the Scouting Legion. Everyone laughed at him and told him he wouldn't last a day...pretty morbid stuff to laugh about. But he's actually come up with a ton of ideas to help us lose less men on the field. He's really an interesting guy." 

"Hm," Levi said, all joy devoid of his face. "Seems more like another haughty alpha who thinks he's indestructible."

"You don't know him like I do," Hanji said with a thumbs up. 

"I hope I never do," Levi drawled, earning a giggle from the strange character beside him. 

"You should give him a chance!" 

\---

Despite the dangerous implications of Hanji being present in case of an early heat on Levi's part- Erwin was predicting another two day's would present the phenomenon- he couldn't let his friend walk home so late and alone. True to his nature, Hanji fell asleep on the couch after a few drinks. Thankfully the guards outside weren't wary of allowing Hanji entrance into the apartment. It took some convincing on Erwin's part, but Hanji's beta status worked in their favor. He also hoped the presence of his goofy friend would help calm Levi down enough to get a decent night's sleep. 

"Are you tired?" Erwin asked Levi. The omega fixed him with a slight stare, before dropping his eyes and shaking his head. 

"I could use a drink." 

Erwin laughed at that. "Are you even old enough to drink?" 

"Fuck you," Levi hissed, taking the bottle as it was handed to him. Some time during the night, Hanji had naturally gravitated towards Erwin and they had interacted for the better part of the evening. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little jealous. He began to miss Isabel and Farlan, and wondered if they were bothering his father about his whereabouts now. Erwin's joking with Hanji almost made him seem like a normal man and not the prideful manipulative alpha Levi saw him as. Maybe he hadn't given Erwin enough credit- That wasn't to say he trusted him even a fraction yet, of course.

Silence followed as Levi drank from the bottle like an infant suckling for sustenance. It was true Erwin's own home was rather scarce in terms of luxury. He had water on hand and bought the ingredients for his meals on a day by day basis so he had something to do. Luckily he had thought to buy a case of prepackaged beverages for the evening.

He watched Levi without judgement or scrutiny, instead choosing to observe him like a fine piece of jewelry. His lips were pale, but slightly pink like his nose and cheeks. The rosy color stood out against his alabaster skin, giving him the perpetual likeness of a child in the cold. He wondered what sort of background Levi had. He'd never seen such long, dark lashes before. He felt a bit strange watching Levi for his own inner monologue, but who could blame him? The boy was absolutely gorgeous. If only it weren't for his surly attitude. 

"You know," Erwin mused. "You'd be quite lovely if you didn't scowl all the time. You should try smiling once in awhile." 

Levi stopped drinking and looked at him. He was quiet and calculating, his eyes darting over Erwin's form as if daring him to move even an inch. "I could almost tolerate you if you didn't open your mouth so much." 

Erwin quirked a brow. "That was a bit uncalled for. I was paying you a compliment." 

"So was I," Levi drawled. He set his beer on the table and pushed it away, standing abruptly. "I can't even tolerate being in the same room as you now, though. You make me so fucking angry. Don't talk to me until you gather some sense." He kicked his chair back in and began to storm off, but was stopped by Erwin's hand gripping his bicep. 

"Why are you so angry?" Erwin asked harshly, trying not to snap at the omega. "Whenever I try to be nice to you, you get all pissy or cause me bodily harm. I could easily hold you down and mate you now. Or send you back to Maxim even! Take whatever dirt poor compensation he gave me-!" He paused suddenly, staring into Levi's wide, terrified eyes. He looked so much more youthful suddenly, less like a flame and more like an ember. Small, fading. Erwin could feel Levi's skin grow cold beneath him and begin to tremble, so he was careful when he released him. 

Levi took a single step back, a common omegan defense. Testing the water, as it was, to make sure they didn't provoke whatever was pursuing them. He wasn't looking at Erwin with that defiant, relentless gaze he usually wore. His eyes instead were darting all around, his pupils dilated so fully Erwin could no longer see the icy blue of the boy's irises. Erwin thought to say something- an apology maybe- but he didn't need to make it worse. Instead he tucked his arms to his side and folded his hands in his lap, then crossed his ankles to show Levi he wouldn't pursue him. It was all instinctual bullshit and didn't really mean anything, but if it would give Levi an out he decided that it was worth something. 

The boy retreated to the room and Erwin could hear the soft clicking of the lock being engaged. He let out an agitated breath and leaned his head against his hand, finishing off the rest of Levi's abandoned bottle of beer. 

\---

"Hanji, you should have seen the way he looked at me," Erwin said. "You should have heard what I -said- to him." He pressed his palms against his eye sockets and groaned. "I don't even- I didn't mean any of it. I've never said something so fucked up to anyone in my entire life. Why to him? He needs me to be this...knight in shining armor or something, and I'm just...I'm the villain." 

The sun was blinding as it peaked over the walls and bathed the streets in a warm glow. Erwin couldn't have slept if he tried, so when Hanji warily rose from his cold sleep to throw up, the blonde couldn't get them to leave the apartment fast enough. They needed to collect the ingredients for the day's food anyway. The stalls had only just begun to set up, but the walk would do well for Hanji's hangover and Erwin's own sense of self-loathing. 

Hanji inhaled deeply after Erwin's laments, and then let out a loud, graceless snort. "Erwin you can be a real dumbie sometimes." 

"I know," Erwin sighed. "I keep messing up. I mean sometimes I think I might actually...well, that we might actually...be a compatible pair, but then I'll say something and he'll get angry and-" 

Hanji put his finger to Erwin's lips and shushed him slow and long. "Back up I can only focus on one monologue at a time. Listen, Erwin, you're not Levi's knight in shining armor. And you're definitely not the villain. You're the fool- Well, right now you are at least." 

Erwin sighed and averted his eyes, scratching the bridge of his nose as he scrunched his eyes closed. 

Hanji continued. "You're trying too hard to be the alpha that is compatible for Levi. You need to stop trying. Stop trying to be nice, stop trying to be compatible, stop trying to be -alpha-. That's what Levi was running away from and that's why he's so resistant towards you. And I'm not talking how to get him in bed here. If you want him to even act civilly towards you, you need to be who you are, not what you are." He inhaled deeply again, then let out a long sigh. "Okay. Monologue." 

Erwin listened, but didn't go on for some time. He was still trying to process Hanji's words and was a bit upset that they were so...right. How could he have let himself become so brainwashed? Levi wasn't just an omega (Sometimes Erwin questioned if he was an omega at all)- He was a person first. A person with thoughts and feelings and fears. He continuously treated Levi as his prize, although mostly inadvertently, while feeding his own ego by convincing himself he didn't think it. "I'm so confused," he murmured. 

"It's okay big boy," Hanji said, grinning as he patted Erwin's back. "You'll figure it out as you go along." 

"I have to apologize," Erwin stated firmly. "After groceries." 

\---

When Erwin and Hanji re-entered the apartment it was to the intense sell of cleaning supplies. He heard the bedroom door close and the lock reengage and rubbed the back of his neck. "How am I going to convince him?"

Hanji shoved him forward and closed the front door. "Don't. You're not trying to convince him of anything. I have faith in you." She patted his back once, hard, and it resounded off the disinfected walls.

Erwin gave him a helpless look, then made his way unsteadily towards the bedroom. He rapped on the door with his knuckles, pressing his ear to the door. "Levi?" he called. 

Predictably, there was no answer. 

"Levi," Erwin called again. "I want to apologize." Again, no answer. He wouldn't be surprised if the boy was still sleeping considering he'd gone who knows how many days without it. "Levi?" He knocked again and the door abruptly opened, Levi looked pleasantly disheveled and uncomfortable as he stood in the doorway, a characteristic glare plastered on his face. 

"I'm trying to sleep," he seethed. 

"Oh," Erwin said, letting his hand fall back to his side. "I'm sorry. Can I speak to you for a bit?" 

Levi flicked his wrist with a flourish, indicating he didn't care, and crawled back under the large comforter, curling up at the very edge of the bed. The blankets were nearly covering all of him, save for the tufts of black hair sticking out from the top. 

Erwin cleared his throat and stepped inside, wondering what had Levi so off guard so suddenly. He inched in, unsure of what to do. Did he sit on the bed? Did he stand awkwardly in the middle of the room. What sort of tone was he supposed to use? He exhaled and shook all the thoughts from his head. "Levi, I'm sorry," he said, weighing the boy's reaction. He did nothing and Erwin briefly wondered if he'd fallen back asleep. Several moments passed as he contemplated what he should do. Go on? Leave? 

"Is that all?" the little bed lump asked in a groggy voice, shifting slightly under the pristine white sheets. Had the boy cleaned those too while Erwin was out? 

"Ah, no. Well, I said some...awful things. I didn't mean them. I would never- No, I could never-" 

"I know." 

Erwin shifted and opted to sit on the bed instead, reaching out to gently touch Levi's curled up form. The boy didn't flinch or make any attempt to move away, so the alpha pressed on. "I haven't been fair to you. I keep claiming you're not my prize, but that's how I've been treating you. You're not my prize Levi. You're not just an omega that needs to abide by certain roles because society says you do. If you scowled every day of your life it wouldn't subtract even a centimeter from your beauty." He retracted his hand and sigh. He was making a fool of himself. He was such a fucking idiot. He-

Levi's hand suddenly slithered out from beneath the blankets and he brought Erwin's own back to rest on his form before allowing himself to retreat under the comforter again. Erwin swallowed. 

"There's no excuse for what I said and the way I acted. I'm not saying I suddenly turned a new leaf or anything, but now I understand why you got so upset with me. I'm going to try and work on being less...alpha." Erwin folded his hands in his lap and waited for a reply, but none came. He closed his eyes, exhaled through his nose, and then stood from the bedside. "I'm going to start on breakfast. Come out whenever you're ready." 

Just as Erwin was about the leave, Levi popped up from under the blankets as if appearing from under a mound of snow. He brushed his hair back to keep himself from looking too ridiculous, and rubbed his eyes. "You didn't have anywhere to sleep last night," he commented, referencing Hanji's use of the couch and his own claim over the bed. Erwin quirked a brow. "Well," Levi said, not without an edge of irritation that Erwin didn't understand what he was getting at. "Hold off on breakfast and get some fucking shut eye. You're allowed to sleep on the futon again," he drawled, pointing at the rolled out thing on the floor. "But don't snore this time. I'm exhausted." 

Erwin couldn't suppress a snicker. He walked to the hall and peeked into the common area, holding a thumbs up in Hanji's direction. Hanji mimicked the gesture, then slipped out the front door without another word. That's what he liked about his relationship with Hanji. There was no awkwardness between them in any regard. 

The blonde yawned and stretched out his aching limbs, falling face first onto the futon. "Good night Levi," he murmured. 

His utterance was met with a soft snore.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter so this little boy can sleep.....
> 
> zzz

The chiming of the clock informed Levi that it had been three hours since he'd first perched himself on a chair in front of one of the apartment's outward facing windows. To his dismay Maxim's men were still occupying the apartment opposite Erwin's, keeping a keen eye on all exits. There hadn't been a single lull in their watches and it was making Levi infinitely restless. He may have made some kind of peace with Erwin, but that didn't change the fact that he was being kept completely against his will- Not to mention his heat was close. He could feel it in the tenderness of his breast and his hypersensitive nerves. 

When Erwin opened the front door, Levi visibly tensed. Though he could sense that it was only the lumbering man and no one else of grave concern, it didn't change that fact that he still wasn't happy about being confined to the apartment. 

"If you had a tail it would be wagging," Erwin laughed, setting some bags on the counter. While the alpha seemed to have grown that much more comfortable around Levi, the feeling was not mutual. Erwin's voice still irritated Levi when it was unwarranted (which was almost always). 

"That's fucking stupid," Levi growled. 

"Well," Erwin clarified. "I mean...wagging like an angry cat. Not like a happy dog, if that's what you thought I meant." 

"I know what you meant. It's still fucking stupid." 

Erwin grimaced and slowly made his way over. "What has you so upset anyway?" he asked, pushing a curtain aside with two fingers so he could glance outside. Levi pushed him away deftly, standing in front of the window in an irritable manner. He didn't know why he wanted to keep Erwin from being aware of Maxim's men. If he found out, the alpha instincts that would be hard for him to suppress would dictate that he protect both his territory and his omega. Perhaps Levi had a chance at escape while Erwin was frenzied. 

"Where were you?" The omega asked, foregoing Erwin's initial question. 

"Just out," he replied, looking Levi up and down. He was currently dressed in the outfit that Erwin had had custom-tailored. It was still a bit loose in places, but it was minor compared to how Levi had nearly drowned in Erwin's own garments. 

"Just out," Levi replied in a mocking tone, to which Erwin offered a secretive smile.

"Out," he repeated. "Boring stuff. I had to request additional time off from the Survey Corps so I could make you comfortable here. Generally only two weeks is granted at most, but I managed to get a month considering...well, it's not important. And then I went and paid your father the rest of your bride-price-" 

"Stop," Levi drawled, unceremoniously. He didn't know how to respond to what Erwin was saying without sounding flustered, so he adopted an air of boredom. "As if any of that stuff matters." He didn't mention his impending escape nor his impending heat. 

"Sorry," Erwin said, as if he understood. But how could he? The apology only made Levi frown deeper. "I like that outfit on you," he said in the form of a subject change.

Levi would be lying if he said he didn't like the outfit. As soon as he had unfolded it, an awe he'd never before experienced struck him. The material was nothing like he had ever felt before. It was soft and thick like a down comforter and dawned vibrant blues and greens, not unlike the ever changing light of Levi's eyes. He had been sure some great cost had to have been paid in order for the clothes to have been tailored for him, and Erwin didn't seem to spare any expense. Levi knew he didn't owe Erwin anything based on what the man did of his own volition, but the personal touches had somehow grasped Levi and made it difficult to maintain his facade. The compliment had only further confused him, causing his heart to beat slightly quicker and his palms to grow sweaty. 

It had to have been the heat that he knew was coming. Levi wasn't interested in a mate of any caliber, so the feelings that seemed to have intensified had to have been a reflection on that. Levi turned his head away, flushed. "Thanks," he murmured, brushing past Erwin to perch himself on the plush living room couch. 

Erwin turned to him and gave a genuinely puzzled look. "Thanks?" he asked. "No vulgarities this time?" 

"No," Levi affirmed, then added after a pause, "But don't make me regret it." 

Erwin opted to take it rather than press the issue. He moved to the kitchenette, pulling ingredients out of brown paper bags. He folded his sleeves up to his elbow, searching through drawers for a cutting board. "Levi-" he began, but Levi interrupted before he could go on. 

"Third drawer to the left," Levi said with a vague gesture. 

"Ah," Erwin replied. It didn't even take a second to find what he had been looking for. Levi was true to his omega nature as far as cleanliness and organization went. Although Erwin could hardly blame him considering he was stuck in the apartment all day every day without reprieve. Suddenly he felt bad for leaving every day. Maybe he could try gathering groceries on a weekly basis instead so he could keep Levi company during the day.

"I noticed you really liked the grilled bell peppers I made last night so I bought a couple for you to have throughout the day. They taste good raw too." He looked at Levi over his shoulder, noticing the boy had moved from his spot on the couch to the bookcase set up in the corner of the living room. 

"I didn't say I liked them," Levi retorted indignantly. 

"Well," Erwin said with a thoughtful hum. "When you went for seconds it seemed like you had made a point to pile on extra bell peppers...I guess it was just an assumption. I like them too, so if you don't want them I'll have them." 

"I'll eat them," Levi said, slightly peeved. Of course Erwin would notice that, being the attentive shit he was. Levi had never tried a bell pepper before, but figured it was like any other vegetable, so it was shocking to him that they had tasted somewhat sweet.

Erwin smiled, looking back to the vegetables he was cutting. "There will be okra in the gumbo tonight. I hope you don't mind...Hanji hates okra so I usually don't buy it." 

Levi pulled a book from the shelf, feigning disinterest. "So you and Hanji are close, huh?" he asked, flipping through the pages. 

"Yeah," Erwin said with a fond smile. "I get along with her better than anyone else in my branch. She's just so...genuine and understanding. She's really a great friend." 

"Seems like it," Levi said, keeping his eyes trained blankly on the page spread out before him. "They're really nice." 

"Mhm," Erwin agreed. For the first time since Levi had arrived, a comfortable silence fell between them- The only sound in the apartment taking form as the dull thud of a knife against a cutting board and the occasional turn of a page. 

"Did you ever have feelings for Hanji?" Levi asked, trying to sound as detached as humanly possible. 

Erwin stopped cutting for a moment then resumed with a loud, haughty laugh. "No. Of course not," he said, his laughter dying down to disbelieving chuckles. "What would give you that impression?" 

"I think they like you," Levi replied, his cheeks burning red with embarrassment. It was a valid question. There was absolutely no reason for the alpha to laugh at him. 

Erwin laughed again, shaking his head. "No. No, I don't think so." 

Levi frowned, keeping his eyes down. "Have you ever liked anyone?" he asked. "Well...I mean you seem like enough of an imbecile to like everyone regardless, but, you know, like -that-." 

There was something oddly innocent about the way Levi had phrased the question. He had aged himself with the silent admission and Erwin couldn't help but smile to himself. "Yes," he responded. 

"Oh?" Levi asked, the interest finally returning to his voice. The way he arranged himself only exposed his true self beneath the cracking facade. 

"Her name was Maria." Erwin said it calmly, as if it were nothing, and sensed a strong tension immediately afterwards.

"Oh," Levi said, deflated. 

Erwin set his knife down, wiping his hands on a rag. "But she has been mated since then. I was so young anyway. It was just a small crush." He exited the boundaries of the kitchenette and began a slow approach. "She was the only person I liked," he said, stopping what would usually be too close to Levi for the omega's comfort. 

Levi looked up at him with a crooked frown. "Well isn't she lucky. She didn't end up with you," he muttered pointedly. 

Erwin laughed lightheartedly and placed a hand atop Levi's head, ruffling his hair. "She may have been the only person I liked -like that-," he said in a tone that was playfully mocking. "But you're the only person I've loved." 

Levi froze, bristled. He was overly aware of Erwin's frame boxing him in between the corner where the wall and book case met. Erwin hadn't exactly been this brazen before, but alternatively Levi had never felt his comfortable around him before. It was an active struggle to keep himself tense and put off. "You don't know anything about me. How could you love me." 

"I've heard that sometimes you just know," Erwin said. "Like love at first sight. When I first saw you I knew that you were meant for me." 

Levi didn't say anything for a long while. He gauged Erwin's face, reading his expression with silent calculation. "I don't belong to you," he said. 

"I know," Erwin said quietly, staring back at Levi. Their gazes held vastly different intentions and Levi wasn't sure how he felt about it. Erwin's eyes held nothing but innocence and purity while Levi's own were their usual cold slate. He swallowed, pressing himself back against the cold beige wall. Erwin gravitated painfully slowly towards him, giving Levi time to make a decision though Levi wasn't sure if it would be enough. 

Erwin stopped suddenly with his face inches from Levi's own. "I won't go any further if that's what you'd like," he said in soft, undulating tones. "What would you like?" 

Levi had never been kissed before. Nor had he initiated any kiss with anyone else. He had never had the time or inclination, but now he felt a strange lack of inhibitions. Farland had always told him that he should just try it once. He had always strongly suggested Isabel, but it didn't sit right with Levi considering both betas were like siblings to him. Kissing had always seemed so insignificant to Levi, but it currently felt like something so much bigger than what he had always imagined it to be. He looked away, tightening his lips into a line, and let out a breathy sigh. "Fine," he said. 

"I'm not going to if you don't want me to," Erwin clarified, and Levi let out an irritated groan. 

"I -want- you to kiss me," he said sternly, though he wasn't offered much reaction time. In a matter of seconds Erwin had him swept up in his arms. His heart's pace quickened tenfold when Erwin's lips were suddenly against his, lightly at first and then slightly firmer. 

Levi didn't know what to do. His experience was incredibly lacking, but it didn't seem to matter with Erwin taking the lead. He closed his eyes, his chin tilted back with the help of Erwin's thumb, and did something he never thought he'd do willingly for an alpha- He submitted. He allowed Erwin to take control and savored the sweet sensation the kiss was igniting in him. It was only an innocent mashing of lips, but it was nothing like Levi had ever experienced. The heat in his body had risen to outstanding temperatures and his knees were beginning to buckle under the weight of his own body. He reveled in it for a few more moments before pushing weakly at Erwin's chest, causing the alpha to pull away. 

"Are you alright?" Erwin asked earnestly, his breath coming in short pants. 

"Yeah," Levi replied dumbly, clutching the book that was still tightened in his vice grip. 

Erwin smiled, brushing his thumb along Levi's cheek. "Good," he said. "I hope it wasn't too much for you." 

Levi frowned, though it didn't hold its usual scrutiny. "Don't flatter yourself...it wasn't -that- good." 

"But it -was- good," Erwin said with a grin.

Levi rolled his eyes, looking away. "Whatever," he sighed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agh you don't know how much I struggled writing this chapter, but I simply have to make my peace and post it. I'm sorry if the quality is not great. 
> 
> Work has been sucking the creativity out of me. (Which is ironic considering I work at a craft store) Anyway enjoy!

"Wow." Was all Levi could dredge up from the haziness of his first kiss. It was embarrassing and meager and made him feel so, so small, but he hardly had time to focus on anything aside from his own internal conflict. He'd only done it as an appeasement tactic (and partially of his own curiosity). He chose to deny the omegan instincts in him that had been the first and final push to his sudden change of heart. He continued to tell himself that it had only been an attempt at getting Erwin off his scent for a few fucking seconds, though he knew that was a lie. He had become vaguely aware of his attraction to the man and despite this burning realization, he was still doing everything he could to convince himself otherwise. 

There was a dark side to Levi. One that was painfully Omegan. One that wanted to clean and be restricted and used and wanted to please a worthy alpha mate. He had suppressed it well before the wretched blonde before him had entered his life. A shame filled him suddenly. How could he have let himself become so unguarded before this...predator? He closed his eyes, brows furrowed, and looked away, prepared to justify his actions and regain control but Erwin spoke first. 

While Levi had admittedly been prepared for Erwin's smug sense of self satisfaction at persuading a strong omega to submit, it never came. There was no self-righteous smile or crass and demeaning comment. Instead, Erwin lightly placed his finger on the centerfold of the book Levi had been browsing and pushed it down so he could see. "What were you reading?" he asked, casual, changing the subject although it was completely within his rights to mock Levi's moment of weakness. 

Levi was baffled and so he wasn't sure how to respond. There had been only biting remarks on his tongue, so several moments of silence passed between them until Erwin began, "Look, you don't have to be nerv-" 

Only to be interrupted by Levi's quick string of, "I don't know." 

Erwin raised an eyebrow, the confusion written all over his face. 

"I don't know what I was reading," Levi continued, his composure coming back o him slowly. He seemed calmer now; less flustered. The air around him settled and he went on. "I don't know how to read." 

"You didn't learn in school?" Erwin asked.

It was Levi's turn to raise an incredulous eyebrow. "An impoverished omega?" 

Erwin realized his faux-pas and eased back, gently coaxing the book from Levi's grasp. "Pride and Prejudice?" he chuckled. "That was a wonderful pick for you." 

Levi almost didn't want to ask, but he cleared his throat and crossed his arms in consternation. "Why?" 

"It's all about Omegan sisters trying desperately to find wealthy compatible mates." Erwin grinned wide, wincing when Levi's fist shot out and punched him in the shoulder. He rubbed his arm, laughing harder. "We'll chalk it up to coincidence rather than fate," he said kindly, tousling Levi's hair which only ruffled the boy further. 

"Why were you looking through the books if you didn't know how to read?" Erwin asked. 

Levi shrugged. 

"Was it an attempt at getting me to shut up?" Erwin asked with a small laugh. 

"Yes," Levi said, though Erwin wasn't too surprised. 

"Would you like me to teach you how to read?" 

"Yes." 

Erwin nodded, placing Pride and Prejudice back in its rightful space in the bookcase. He smiled warmly at Levi, "We'll begin after dinner," he declared before turning to attend the boiling pot.

\---

After dinner, as promised, Erwin seemed to take the initiative of setting up an educational space for Levi in the same place he had been eating not an hour before. It had used the same amount of time that Levi had taken to clean up, and he was slightly surprised when he exited the wash room to find a pseudo classroom set up not ten feet away. 

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, incredulous. 

Erwin looked back at him, quirking a brow. "I thought you wanted to learn how to read." 

"I do," Levi said, approaching. He pressed the towel to his face, dabbing away the excess water that had gathered from his dripping bangs. He sat at the table, side-eyeing Erwin when the alpha scooted his chair closer. The two were nearly shoulder to shoulder, and Levi was slightly disturbed by how unperturbed he was by it. 

"Alright," Erwin began, gesturing to a card on the table. "Can you read letters?" Levi didn't respond. He merely gazed at the cards displayed neatly before him. "You can't?" the blonde pressed. 

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z," Levi recited, then immediately set his mouth into a firm line. 

Erwin chuckled, leaning on his hand. "I'm glad you know how to recite them, but can you -read- the letters?" 

"Of course I fucking can," Levi replied, slouching. The discouragement was already radiating off of him. 

"What is this letter then?" Erwin asked with a small, light-hearted laugh as he gestured to a Q. 

Levi's brow furrowed and he stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back. "Look, you don't have to make fun of me. I already told you I can't read." 

Erwin grabbed Levi's arm, rubbing his thumb lightly against the bare skin of the inside of his forearm. "There's no reason to be embarrassed," he said softly. "I want to help you, Levi. Not insult you." 

Levi looked slightly ridiculous to Erwin. He was nearly pouting which was unforeseen on the usually composed boy's face. It took a bit of coaxing, but finally the omega slid back into his chair and crossed his arms, barring his energy off from Erwin's own. 

"We'll start with something simple. Do you know what sound the letter A makes?" 

If Levi had even a shred of pride left at that point, it had left him abruptly with the utterance of Erwin's idiotic statement. "It makes the ay sound," he drawled. 

"And?" Erwin asked. 

"And the ah sound." 

"Good. What sound does the letter T make?" Erwin pointed to the upper and lowercase T card he had made. 

"Tee, and tuh." 

"If we put the A and the T together, what would it read?" Erwin settled a blank note card in front of Levi and wrote 'at' on it. 

"Ay-tee?" Levi replied blandly, looking unimpressed. "Eighty?" 

"Ah, not quite," Erwin hummed. "Try again." 

"Ay-tuh? Ah-tuh? At?"

Erwin grinned. "Good job," he commended. "Now what sound does the letter C make?" 

"See and Cuh." 

Erwin nodded, drawing a C in front of the at. "Now try and sound out this word." 

Levi sighed. "Erwin I don't think-" 

"Just try it," Erwin interrupted encouragingly. 

Levi sighed again and ran his hands through his damp hair. "Cuh-ah-tuh." He looked confused for a moment, before it clicked. "C-ah-t. It says cat." 

Erwin grinned again. "Good job Levi. You're a natural." 

Levi looked uncharacteristically surprised. "I read it?" he asked, staring hard at the card, as if looks could kill. 

"Yes. You may not be reading pride and prejudice any time soon, but I will find something that might be more towards your skill level tomorrow at the market." Erwin smiled warmly, though Levi gave no indication that he had been listening at all. "Are you ready to try another one?" he asked. 

Levi gave a vague nod, still entranced by the note card resting on the table. 

\---

They studied well into the night and, to Erwin's surprise, Levi picked it up quickly. He had the skills, he just didn't know how to use them yet. "So you never went to school?" he asked as they began to reorganize the small educational set up.

"I did," Levi said. "For two or three years as a kid. My teacher always told us omegas that there was no point in coming to school because we didn't have even half the chance the alphas and betas did. She said we may as well stay home and learn how to be desirable omegas, so I stopped going. Omegas are usually only allowed to attend school for seven or so years anyway. I met Isabel and Farlan shortly after and that's when we began making our own way."

"You've never mentioned those two before," Erwin said. He stopped organizing and turned towards Levi, leaning on his hand. "Do you want to tell me about them?" 

Levi tightened his lips, gauging Erwin as if trying to read any underlying intention. He finally seemed to settle on something, and shifted his weight as he spoke. "They've always been my best friends," he said. "They're both betas, but they're cocky and carefree like alphas. I think of them as siblings." 

"That's sweet," Erwin said with a smile. He reached out and stroked Levi's hair though the omega didn't submit to or reject the sentiment nor did he give any indication on how it made him feel. "Why don't we go to bed? It's getting rather late." 

Levi frowned, rising like a statue being erected by the laborious efforts of ten men. "You're still not allowed to sleep in the bed," he said evenly. 

"Fair enough," Erwin replied in his typically nurturing voice. 

Levi's mouth set into a line and he turned abruptly on his heel, walking towards the bedroom as if he had been put off. 

\---

It was late into the night when Levi felt compelled to visit the kitchenette due to a rumbling stomach. He had never been one for midnight snacks, but then again he had often gone days without eating due to the simple tragedy that was poverty. He had been sifting through the cooler- looking for the sharp cheddar Erwin had accompanied with their lunch earlier in the day when a sound had him paralyzed. It wasn't Erwin's tell-tale lumbering steps- It was something more...stealthy. Something he might not have noticed if he hadn't been on the raw end of burgling for a better portion of his life. 

The pause he took was long and agonizing. If it hadn't been for the elements surrounding him- Erwin, Maxim's men, and a possible burglar, he would have taken action by now, but as the situation was he couldn't do much more than wait for a sign to indicate his assumptions were right. 

He felt something grab his arm and in a split second, said something was smashed between the back of the fireplace and his own body. "Who's there?" he hissed, pressing all his weight into the figure. 

"Levi?" he heard a voice whisper in return. It was the unmistakable timbre of a woman. 

"Isabel?" Levi asked, marveling at the soft and comforting touch of his friend. 

"You're crushing Farlan," she whispered again, stepping back. 

"Farlan?" Levi stepped forward, releasing Farlan from the crushing weight of his body. Farlan sputtered quietly, swaying to one side before he collapsed on the ground with a dull thud, groaning. Levi was almost too happy for words, until a realization hit him. "What in the Hell are you two doing here?" he growled. 

"We're here to save you," Isabel said, quietly and while making vague movements in the dark. Levi could hardly make out her figure, but her voice was unmistakable. "You're father told us you were bought by an alpha and didn't want to be bothered, but we knew there was no way you were here willingly." 

"Well you got that right," Levi sighed without thinking. "But I can't leave. I'm blocked in from all sides." He was about to let the subject rest when he suddenly bristled. "Wait- How did you two get in here anyway?" 

"We climbed," Farlan grumbled from where he sat on his knees. He gestured to the chimney he had just been crushed against and scowled.

Levi squinted and could see the dark smudges marring their skin and clothes indicating his story had been true. He frowned, disturbed at how they had dragged grime into the apartment he had made spotless from head to toe. The thought itself disgusted him further and he shook his head. What did it matter if they tracked grime and soot into Erwin's apartment? It was no concern of his. "Maxim's men are focused on windows and doors," he mused. "If we left through the chimney I could escape unnoticed." 

"Exactly!" Isabel chirped. "We can shimmy along the roof and use the back alleys to take us back home to the slums." 

The slums. Levi's frown deepened. Freedom meant struggling to survive. It meant hard cots and no guarantee that he'd eat more than a bite of food on any given day. There would be no comfortable clothes and no welcoming smiles. He rubbed the sockets of his eyes with his palms, groaning. Erwin had got to him. He was ready to admit it. His thoughts lately had been a constant string of lies he was reciting to himself in order to sink further into his own denial, but now they were beginning to catch up to him. 

"I can't," Levi said finally, brushing his hands through his hair. He wasn't surprised by Isabel and Farlan's concerned gasps- He didn't quite believe what he was saying either. "I think...maybe, I want to stay." 

Farlan stepped forward first, hands on his hips. "What are you saying Levi?" he demanded. "You're supposed to be our fearless leader and now you're ready to resign yourself to some alpha? Levi, you even smell like an omega. Did you stop using your beta scent?" He crossed his arms, stepping close to Levi. 

"It's not like I did it by choice," Levi snapped quietly in return.

"Levi, this isn't you," Farlan said, holding either side of Levi's head. He gave it a small shake for good measure which only made Levi more irritated. "This alpha is obviously trying to manipulate you." 

Levi slapped his hand away. "Shut up Farlan. He's not a normal alpha. He's different." 

Isabel hesitated before speaking. "Do you even hear what you're saying, Levi?" 

"Yeah," Farlan interjected. "Levi you've hated alphas your whole life. They're always trying to oppress anyone who isn't an alpha. This guy is just trying to keep you as his trophy." 

"I'm not a trophy," Levi hissed, his hackles rising. "You're right. I was being stupid." He was thinking irrationally, but his rationality had long since been switched off. His mind was a battle field between what he wanted and what he thought he wanted and he didn't know which was which. It was scary to him- having always been in control only to be so out of wits now. It had all started after he was forced to stay with Erwin, so he rationalized that it must have been the alpha's pheromones affecting his own chemistry. That was all. He was seeing things with an omegan veil that needed to be dispelled. "Let's go," he said to the delight of his peers. 

"That's my Levi," Farlan grinned, slapping Levi on the back as they tiptoed to the chimney. 

\---

The escape had gone without a hitch much to the consternation of Levi. It had been so easy all along and yet he hadn't considered getting a little dirty in return for freedom. A dark part of his mind taunted him- stating that if he really wanted to escape he would have. Easily. Still he felt the burning need to turn back. What would Erwin think when he realized Levi had escape? Would he be angry? Unsurprised? Heart broken?

"Shit," he heard Farlan mutter from the front. "Another dead end." 

"Farlan you're an idiot. I told you we had to turn right at the fork in the road," Isabel argued. 

A banter picked up between the two, but Levi hardly noticed it as a warmth began to fill the pit of his stomach. He ignored it at first despite the fact that he never got such butterflies, but as it began to spread throughout his body, a nervousness filled him. "I should just go back," he said urgently. 

"No," Farlan sighed. "It's fine. We'll find our way back." 

Levi felt like his entire body was slowly igniting. He was increasingly aware of Farlan and Isabel's banter and it was driving him mad. His senses were honing in on their argumentative tones, but weren't quite comprehending their words. "I need to go back," he said again, though neither of his friends heard him that time. 

Levi's heart began a quick and rhythmic beat, as if it were moments away from exploding. He felt dizzy and his mouth was dry and his skin was crawling and a cold sweat had begun to douse his burning skin so that he couldn't tell if he was too hot or too cold at any given moment. When a strange sensation at the base of his spine mocked him and his biology produced a lubricant that was as unmistakable as it was natural. Levi groaned loudly, finally pulling his friends from their debate. "I'm going into heat," he panted, his entire body beginning to shake. 

There was a resounding chuckle suddenly, that filled Levi's stomach with outspoken fear. A pair of heavy, imposing boots engaged the silence that followed and Maxim's figure took up the alley's entrance, along with the forms of his two men (both betas). "You know, Levi," he said sweetly, putting Farlan and Isabel immediately on guard. "I was this close to giving up on you. You must have been really desperate to get rid of that lumbering idiot if you were willing to attempt such a feeble excuse for an escape while your scent is so rich." He inhaled deeply, his shoulders trembling at how pure it was. "Don't worry little one. I'll take care of you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must love you guys a lot

Nobody moved. Farlan and Isabel were between the alley's end wall and Levi, while Maxim stood between the entrance and Levi. Either way, Levi was in the middle and any wrong movement could end up for the decommissioned omega. "Who are you?" Isabel demanded, engaging a defensive stance similar to Farlan's own. 

Maxim grinned, taking a step closer, but he stopped when he saw the betas tense. He was much larger, wiser, and far more learned in the arts of combat than the two, but killing two betas could have repercussions- even for an alpha of such high rank. He placed his hands behind his back, breathing in the scent of Levi's heat. It took all he had in him to remain composed and not frenzy. "I am Maxim Calabri," he said regally, lifting his chin high to indicate his presence was much more significant than two children's. "I've already laid claim to that omega. You two may run along and play now. Your presence will only be a hindrance." 

Farlan sneered at that and shifted his weight, as if ready to pounce. "You must be the alpha that was keeping Levi captive." 

"No," Isabel said quietly to her counterpart. "Levi said his name was Irving or something." She turned her attention back to Maxim and knit her brows. "Levi isn't yours. He's not anyone's. Not even that Irving guy. You can't just -buy- a person." 

"On the contrary," Maxim sighed, a bit irritably. "It's common knowledge that you can't buy a person. Omegas aren't -people- though. Not like Alphas and Betas at least. Even your lowbred worth is greater than his." 

"That does it," Farlan growled, suddenly charging Maxim. The man didn't so much as lift a finger as one of the beta guards subdued Farlan easily (they were trained professionals after all and Farlan hadn't been expecting the skill from the Wall Garrison of all soldiers.) Isabel was quick to react when the opposite guard rushed at her, and managed to avoid capture. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Maxim approaching Levi, both slow and calculated, and moved quickly to defend her friend. 

The fight had been one sided from the beginning. Levi had only trained Farlan and Isabel so greatly, and without him to add to their dynamic, they didn't stand half a chance against Maxim and his men. They had always depended on stealth to help them during outmatched situations, only Levi was completely unable to escape himself and Isabel couldn't possibly carry her friend on her own and somehow manage to free Farlan from the vice grip of the large guard to boot. 

She attempted one feeble kick that Maxim blocked easily and then let out a frustrated cry. She had no other choice. She maneuvered herself behind Maxim and pulled his cloak over his head, disabling him long enough so that she could kick him into the wall. He flailed quite laughably (had the situation not been dire) and struggled for a moment. The beta guard lunged at her, but she rolled out of the way before taking off into the streets. The guard was slightly dumbfounded by her reaction, and only moved in pursuit when Maxim righted himself and bellowed a loud command. He stood, an air of frustration radiating off of him, and then brushed his disheveled hair back. 

"Your little friend had abandoned you," he growled to Farlan, who seemed just as dumbfounded as the guard had been. He stopped struggling, his mouth twisting into an irritated scowl. 

"God dammit Isabel!" he called after her. 

Maxim offered him a smug smile, then reached down to Levi who had since flattened himself against the ground in an attempt to shy away from Maxim's grabbing hands. "Your little friends are weak," he laughed, grabbing Levi's arm roughly and yanking him up with little concern for his whimpering. And god how satisfying was it to make an omega whimper in pain or fear or whatever else. "You're just like a little bitch, with your tail between your legs." He squeezed Levi's lithe frame under his arm and lifted him easily. "Arrest...that one for interference, thievery, and...well, let's say treason. I, on the other hand, will be taking my prize now." 

"Levi!" Farlan yelled, squirming uselessly against the pure brawn of the beta holding him fast. "Let him go dammit! You can't treat people like this!" 

Maxim dismissed Farlan and the guard with a flick of his wrist, and ran his fingers through Levi's soft hair, listening contently to the pleasant sounds he made. "Let's take our leave before any other alpha picks up your scent. You omegan sluts can release quite pungent pheromones." 

\---

It must have occurred to Maxim that bringing home a brand new omega to deflower and (most likely) brutalize might have been much too inappropriate for his family-oriented home, so he forewent it in favor of an old locking ground in the nearby woods. The little shacks had served a purpose once, but considering heatlocking was now offered in-home, there was no point of leaving that comfort. Locking grounds had proven time and time again to be quite stressful for omegas, anyhow, though Maxim could care less in regards to Levi. 

As soon as they entered the decrepit old cellar, Maxim turned on he dingy light that still worked (barely) and threw Levi on the floor as if he had been some long-forgotten child's doll. "You gave me a great deal of difficulty, you know that?" he asked, frowning deeply as he shed his cloak. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then once again pushed back his copper mane. "You're lucky I like the chase, or I'd have half a mind to be cruel to you." He chuckled under his breath, lifting Levi again by the collar. 

The treatment didn't affect Levi as much in this state as it would have had he been in a normal mindset. Now he was merely a panting, sweaty mess with zero inhibitions or rational thoughts- as if he were looking through a filter. His head lulled back, his muscles feeling far too achey and jello-like to obey any command that went against his basic biology. "Aren't you going to say anything? No smartass remarks? No scowls?" he slammed Levi up against the wall, eliciting a breathy groan. "Your thoughts must be clouded," he crooned. "You must be thinking about how badly you need an alpha to breed you right now. Don't worry, it will be an honor for you to carry my progeny. Too bad you're a mystic. Of course I would never love half-mystic pups as much as my own pure-bred pups, but they might fetch a fair price on the black market. Nobody needs a mystic for more than something to fuck anyway." He grabbed Levi's chin, turning his head from side to side. And you'd be easy to sell if I ever became bored of you." He hummed thoughtfully, then shook his head. "Those details can be worked out easily in time. For now, we should enjoy your first heat, shouldn't we?" 

Levi closed his eyes and let his head lull forward when Maxim released his tight grip on his chin, which only made the man chuckle again. "I want to hear you beg for it," he whispered roughly. "You can only deny your Omegan roots for so long." He grabbed a handful of Levi's hair, yanking his head back at a sharp angle which drew forth something that was a cross between the pain and pleasure it forced him into. "Beg for it," he demanded again, pressing his face against Levi's neck to feast upon it. 

Levi's eyes rolled back and his breathing became more ragged. "Gg..." he groaned, causing Maxim to pull back and stare at him with a righteous smile. 

"Go on," he coaxed. 

"Gg..." Levi tried again, then finally, against all odds, fought against the rock in his throat. "Go f-fuck yourself," he managed in an odd, gurgling whisper. Maxim frowned. 

"You'll fight until I've beat it right out of you, won't you?" He asked. With a new intensity, Maxim forced his mouth over Levi's while the boy attempted very pathetically to push him away. The meager fight Levi had managed to draw out of himself was taken from him with that single motion. As Maxim's tongue (and by proxy pheromone-ridden saliva) entered his mouth, the muscles in him relaxed, his body craving an alpha's biology. "Good boy. Good, little one," Maxim cooed, stroking Levi's cheekbones with his thumbs. 

In a quick motion, Maxim turned Levi and kicked him onto the dirty old futon that had been placed unceremoniously onto the ground. Levi fell with a strangled cry, and tried to rise to his feet, only to be situated of his own accord onto his elbows and knees. Suddenly, he felt paralyzed. His face was pressed into the mattress by Maxim's hand and his body refused to do much more than hold his position fast. 

"Your body knows what it wants, Levi," Maxim sighed, and Levi could hear the familiar clang of an unfastening belt. "Submit to it. Every omega wants to submit. It will be so much easier if you simply admit it. See this-" he reached forward and pulled down Levi's too-big pants in an easy motion, revealing his naked backside. The scent hit him stronger than before and it took everything in him not to force himself in right then. He slapped his hand firmly on Levi's flank, then pressed lightly between his cheeks, moving down to caress the boy's shameful erection. "You're a natural." 

The words hit Levi like a ton of bricks as he recalled what Erwin had said to him earlier that night. And Maxim was right in a sense- he did need to admit to the fact that there was no use fighting his biology and that it was only natural of him to want an alpha. But Maxim wasn't that alpha. He closed his eyes and dug his fingers into the mattress, his entire body shaking. 

"There you are," Maxim chuckled. He moved his hand and cupped it firmly over one of Levi's round cheeks, squeezing hard enough to leave a bruise. "You've produced so much slick on my account and still you deny your nature." He pressed his thumb against Levi's exposed hole, feeling the wet stuff flow gently around the appendage. "You're an idiot really. Had you waited only a couple more hours you'd be sleeping comfortably in the arms of that weakling. Anyone who considers an omega anything more than a dumb, baby-producing slut can't be even the slightest bit intelligent, honestly. He probably would have treated you so nicely. After I mate you you'll never again see the light of day." He laughed loud and domineering, then squeezed Levi's ass again, drawing blood this time with his nails in a way that was more vindictive than cause for his own arousal- or maybe it was both. 

Levi was resigned. He wished Maxim would stop talking about Erwin and just ruin him already. There was no point in drawing it out other than to torture the boy and he was feeling tortured enough as it was. Shut up, he thought to himself, a small amount of head space still the slightest bit lucid beyond the haze. -Shut up-. 

\---

Isabel was out of breath and nearly in tears when she hit a wall- literally. The mass sent her flying to the ground and she blacked out for three seconds before coming to in a violent grip. A hand cracked harshly against her cheek, dizzying her again and sending her body lax. She didn't know when she was pressed roughly against a wall, but it made her realize that she had not run into a wall like she thought she'd had. It was the large guard that Maxim had sent after her. "Let me go!" she screamed, only to have her mouth covered easily by a much larger, much more imposing hand. 

"Maxim gave me permission to do whatever I wanted to," the guard cackled, his breath coming in short perverted breaths that sent shivers for Isabel's spine. She opened her mouth as wide as she could and bit down, causing the guard to release her. "You bitch!" the guard yelled. He reached out blindly, grabbing Isabel's ponytail and pulling her back so she fell backward, effectively knocking the breath from her body. "You're gonna pay for that," the man growled, grabbing the front of her shirt. 

Isabel expected another blow, but none came. The only thing she could hear was her own ragged, choked breath as she tried to recover, but when she opened her eyes it wasn't just the guard that came into view. A large imposing alpha was standing over her, protective. He threw a punch and the guard was out in moments flat, collapsing to the ground. 

"Are you alright?" the alpha asked, his breath panicked as he helped her to her feet. He seemed anxious to leave her as soon as he had come, pausing only to make sure she wasn't hurt. 

"I'm fine," Isabel said quickly. "I- Thank you." 

The alpha nodded grimly, then moved quickly to leave, but something compelled Isabel to reach out to him. She grabbed his arm, nearly jumping at the sharp, urgent look he offered her in return. "Who are you?" she asked. 

"My name is Erwin Smith. I'm a captain of the Survey Corps- Look, I'm in a rush. My- Levi is-" he made a frustrated sound and pulled his arm away. "I have to go!" he called, sprinting off. 

Isabel was shocked. She sprinted off after him, catching up with a bit of difficulty as her lung protested after the lengthy injury her solar plexus had just suffered. "I'm looking for Levi too!" she gasped. "He's my- my friend- and Farlan- shit...I left Farlan." she covered her face as she ran, distressed. While it was true she had left them both in search of help- Erwin specifically- the possible consequences of her actions were beginning to catch up to her. 

"Farlan?" Erwin breathed as he ran. He glanced at her quickly, then back forward. "You must be Isabel," he replied hurriedly. "Levi told me about you two." 

"He did?" Isabel asked, looking at Erwin with an awestruck expression. 

"He didn't mention how irresponsible you are," Erwin said, not without a bit of bite to it. It seemed he had pieced together the situation without a single doubt. 

Isabel grimaced shamefully and looked back forward, running alongside Erwin and trusting his intuition would bring them to Levi easier than her own dumb luck would. 

Finally, they reached the old Locking Grounds and Erwin wasted no time in ripping open cellar after cellar. "How do you know he's here?" Isabel asked, helping his endeavor. "You couldn't have sensed him since these are all heat locked."

"I just know," Erwin grunted, moving to yank open one of the old doors, only to find it was locked. "Here!" he called to Isabel, banging loudly on the thick metal. 

The annoyance roused Maxim from where he had just been preparing to enter his kidnapped bride. He frowned, raising his chin, but when Erwin's voice penetrated the metal, a sick grin spread across his face. "This will be quite fun, little one," he said to Levi. He yanked his pants up, not bothering to buckle them, and grabbed the blade he wore at his waist from where it rested on the floor. He drew it, grabbing Levi aggressively by the neck before placing the blade against the smooth, pale skin. Levi made a feeble noise, his vision going blurry and doubled as he was rocked about. 

"Step back!" Maxim barked. "I'm coming out." He pressed his face against Levi's neck, grinning. "I already have my prize, but how delightful would it be if I killed your lover boy right in front of you?" 

"No," Levi managed to rasp, his fingers furling tightly in Maxim's sleeve. "Please." 

Maxim raised a brow, his grin only darkening at Levi's words. "So that's what it takes to make you beg, hm? It's really that easy? You truly are just a slutty omega." He engaged the lock with the back of his blade, and then kicked the door open. "Step back," he growled at Erwin, who obeyed when he surveyed the situation. He pressed the blade firmer against Levi's neck, his smile curling despicably. He pressed hard enough to draw blood, which clearly enraged Erwin. He would have attacked had it not been for Levi's shaking, vulnerable form. "You should have heard him begging, Erwin," Maxim chuckled. He pulled Levi off his feet, holding him firmly against his chest. "Go ahead Levi. Be a good boy and do it again." 

Levi did nothing, which seemed to trigger Maxim. He suddenly dropped the boy and slammed the back of his blade against his neck, sending him crumpling to the dirty ground beneath him. 

"Levi!" Isabel yelled, running towards him. 

It didn't take Erwin more than a fraction of a second to lunge of Maxim, attacking with a violence that was rarely seen of him. Maxim cackled, his voice carrying waves of insanity along with it. Though Erwin's strength was great, Maxim mostly matched it, and they romped with a feral intensity. 

"They're frenzied," Isabel whispered as she gathered Levi protectively into her arms. She watched, knowing well enough that interfering with two frenzied alphas was a suicide wish. She clung to her collapsed friend, wrapping her cloak around his exposed midsection. 

Erwin had the upper hand in no time. They were hand to hand, with Maxim on his back and Erwin on top of him trying to crash down all his weight. Erwin was going to kill Maxim. He knew it and Maxim knew he was willing to, but that same sadistic grin never left his smug face. "Erwin, you idiot," he laughed loudly. "How can you possibly love that omegan whore? You should have seen how easily he took position for me. It took no persuasion at all." 

Erwin reeled his fist back and punched Maxim across the face, but the smile never left. A stream of blood was running down his nose from the impact, and despite that he only continued. "He makes such pretty noises when you tell him what a slut he is. He eats it up. Just like he'll eat up any cock you offer him." 

There was murder written all over Erwin's face as he wrapped his hands around Maxim's throat, applying all the force he possibly could. "Shut up, shut up, you mother fucker!" he bellowed, shaking the man violently. 

Maxim choked as Erwin continued bruising his trachea, but managed to slip his leg in between Erwin's own and kicked him off by taking advantage of his vulnerability. He went immediately for Levi and Isabel, but Erwin was faster and kicked his feet out from under him just before he could reach the unconscious boy. He stood over Maxim, his eyes shining with something terrible. He raised his booted foot, kicking Maxim in the head as hard as his leverage would allow him. It drove the man unconscious, but didn't quite kill him. He raised his boot again, hovering just over Maxim's face, but Isabel's voice stopped him. 

"Stop!" she cried. "Levi wouldn't want you to!" 

He looked back at her, his eyes narrow like a preying hawk. He narrowed them further, prepared to ignore her all together. 

"Levi wouldn't want you to!" she yelled again. "I want him dead as much as you do, but Levi's not like that! If you kill him Levi would be upset." She cradled her friend's head, listening to him groan as he began to come to. "Levi told us you were different than other alphas," she continued urgently. "He said you weren't like assholes like that guy. He trusts you!" 

Erwin hesitated and then slowly, very slowly, the air around him changed. He clenched his fist, letting his foot rest back against the ground. He walked over and gently plucked Levi from Isabel's embrace, much to the consternation of the small girl. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small survey corps pin, placing it in her palm. "Go straight to the Military Police and ask for my father. His name is on the back of this pin. Tell them Erwin Smith sent you and that if they need confirmation, they can get it in the morning after I've...after my omega is feeling better." 

Isabel looked at him, quirking a brow, "But-"

Erwin shushed her with his hand. "Do it now. Tell them where they can pick up Maxim and exactly what happened here tonight. I need to take Levi back to my apartment where he will be safe." 

Isabel frowned, but nodded and ran off. 

\---

Once they arrived back at the apartment, Levi had finally come to and was feeling worse for wear, but ultimately alright. "Erwin..." he whispered in a rasped voice, but Erwin stopped him by placing a stern finger against his lips. 

"Get in the bath and wash yourself. Maxim's scent is still heavy on you," he said, shedding his coat. Levi didn't move, so Erwin nudged him again towards the wash room. "Now," he ordered. 

Levi looked helplessly at him, "I'm sorry," he said quickly, before retreating. 

Erwin pulled his shirt off and walked to his room to sit heavily on his large bed. He placed his head in his hands, smoothing his palms over his face. "Shit," he whispered, the anxiety heavy in his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I can't even begin to tell you guys what an unexpected challenge it was to write this fic. Writing Levi as, well, Levi, but also as an omega is the most intimidating thing. I really hope I'm doing him justice. 
> 
> (Shit I'm so dumb. I was on my phone and I accidentally deleted the chapter, so this is the reuploaded one)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably should have mentioned I can't write porn.......
> 
> Also my tumblr has been requested and so I will write it down here for your viewing pleasure! It's rly dumb though so I apologize in advance. Anyway my url is: shota-satan-alex

When Levi exited the washroom, the first thing he noticed was that Erwin didn't smile warmly at him like he had every other time Levi entered the room that week. The fire was still burning aggressively inside of him, but he was able to show the slightest amount of restraint in response to Erwin's disapproval- The man hadn't even looked up at him. He took a cautious step closer, holding the towel around his shoulders like a frantic child waiting earnestly for its parents to dress them for bed. 

"Erwin," he croaked, his voice raspy, but the man stood and brushed past him, stopping only to give him a compulsory sniff before entering the wash room and closing the door none too quietly. Levi watched over his shoulder, waiting for the alpha to return and embrace him like he had been wanting to all week, but no such comfort found the omega. 

He moved to the bedroom, sitting on the bed with a small groan. Most of the slick had been washed off in the bath, but his heat was still going strong- though significantly less so after certain traumatic events. It was hard to think with the intense ache in his head taunting him. The only thoughts that seemed to escape the pain were the most malicious ones, but Levi tried his damnedest to ignore them. He was far too focused on other things anyway- Like Erwin's bed spread. He hadn't cared to notice it before, but now his heightened senses were pointing an accusing finger. 

With a shaky self-loathing sigh, the boy fell back and turned onto his stomach, inhaling the sweet and comforting scent of the alpha that had left it behind. It felt very perverse and wrong and he wanted nothing more than to chastise himself and stop the disgusting display- but he couldn't. 

The burning need inside of him was eating him alive and he needed to relieve it. It wasn't by any means Levi's first heat- He was actually quite old for having not been bred. Most omegas were already preparing to meet with alpha suitors by the age of thirteen. Levi had not lived such a life. Instead, he protested every meeting; denied every suitor; and made it very clear to his father that he had no intention of being sold off like a common slave. Despite his anatomy he had always followed the beat of his own drum. He was a natural born leader with a stern sense of integrity- something that was more befitting of an alpha. It wasn't "Omegan" to have your own ideals or to think freely. Everything about omegas was a mere reflection of their alpha counterparts. It had always been sickening to Levi, but then again he had never intended on meeting an alpha that complimented him so well. 

The boy swallowed dryly despite the salvation building up in his mouth. Something inside of him was coming alive, but he was too afraid to unleash it. The heat had been inopportune in every sense of the word. With nothing more to hold him back- hadn't he been degraded completely tonight anyway?- Levi curled his hand on his abdomen and slowly sank it below the hem of his towel.

There was something liberating about pleasing himself. Levi wasn't the type to experience arousal at the drop of a hat like many omegas. He didn't find any appeal in the flattery of an alpha (not until Erwin at least, not that he'd ever admit it) and so in the delirium of heats was the only time he found release. 

He shuddered as his fragile fingers found the shaft of his erection, fondling it gently as if to rouse a living being. His touch was intensified by the heat, but it was still lacking. His fingers were too small and unskilled- something he had never noticed before. A pathetic sound escaped the lips that he had been trying to keep tightly closed and he had to bury his face to prevent the same spectacle. The gesture was no real help though, as it only brought Erwin's scent closer to him. It drove him slightly mad to sense the alpha, and to realize he was so close and yet eons away at the same time. 

Levi had never considered himself delicate, even in his most passionate heats, but the tables had turned and now he was paying for the insolence he had displayed towards his biology. If a simple apology could reverse it all and bring him sanctuary he honestly believed he had it in him to swallow his pride and crawl on his knees to whatever higher being was punishing him. 

He felt grateful that the entire apartment had been heat locked considering Erwin was being awfully neglectful and if it weren't for the new barrier between the two respective rooms, Levi would probably go to great lengths to relieve his heat. He had forgotten what agony a heat could be with no giving end. 

His entire body was shaking desperately, and he was just inexperienced enough to be at a complete loss at how to help himself. Although, shamefully, Maxim's fingers had ignited the heat in his belly to something nearly euphoric- had he not been so repulsed. Levi swallowed, closing his eyes as he twisted his body in order to reach his ass. The skin was still damp and when he managed to caress his own hole it sent an electric shock up his spine. The slick still producing there was warm from Levi's body heat. He touched himself experimentally, his eyebrows furrowing as a vague pleasure debated on laying its hands on him or not. 

In the other room, Levi could hear Erwin tossing the (undoubtedly cold as it was lukewarm when Levi finished) bath water out the window and into the street to dry over night. His heart rate increased and he prayed Erwin would come back and ease his suffering. At the unmistakable sound of footsteps, he moved his fingers from himself and his body automatically assumed the instinctual omegan position on his elbows and knees with his ass in the air like an open invitation. Any embarrassment he might have felt before the heat was cast to the wind with one brief flick of a wrist. 

He couldn't see Erwin, but he could almost feel the little jolt of surprise when he opened the door. Levi could sense the flare of Erwin's nostrils as Levi's scent hit him hard. He heard the shudder of the alpha's breath as if it was against his own ear and the thought made him whimper. 

"Levi," Erwin started, but closed his mouth tightly moments later. He approached Levi, the arousal inside his stomach palpable in the constricting air around them. He observed Levi like a prized pig, then cast his gaze down, ashamed of his own subconscious thoughts. "Levi," he said again, and still couldn't think of what to say. He touched Levi's flank, feeling the muscles constrict beneath his calloused hands in anticipation. He pulled his hand away and the rejection was almost too overwhelming. Levi's bottom lip quivered, but he refused to let his frustrated tears fall. 

"I'm sorry Erwin," he whispered, his voice scratchy and not at all like the controlled omega Erwin had come to know. "I'm really fucking sorry. Please don't be mad at me. Please don't hate me." Begging wasn't something Levi did easily- or even at all- until now. 

Erwin let out a deep sigh, clenching his fists. "I'm not mad at you and I...sure as hell don't hate you." It was nearly impossible to retrain himself, but he had to persevere for Levi's sake.

"Then take me," Levi whispered, arching his back in an attempt at enticing Erwin. It worked, but Erwin remained calm. 

"I-I...can't, because-" He swallowed, his pupils dilated so fully they nearly eclipsed his iris. "If I- you're just in heat- that's all. If I..." He growled lowly. "Then -you'll- be the one that hates -me-. When you come to your senses." 

"My senses have never been more clear." Levi sounded frustrated now. He was nearly to the brink of breaking his presentation in favor of -making- Erwin take him. "F-Fuck me Erwin." The stammer, oddly enough, only made Erwin's arousal that much greater. Levi, who had always been so goddamn controlled was now begging Erwin to take the reigns. 

"You won't hate me when this god forsaken heat is over?" Erwin asked, eyeing Levi's ass with a tenuous look. 

Levi furrowed his brow. Erwin could see the trembling tension in his toes and he thought of it as something rather delighting. Levi raised his ass higher, the tremble moving to his shoulder blades. "Shut up and fuck me already!" he yelled irritably. 

Erwin didn't have to be told twice- or three times rather- as he was on Levi in seconds. The movement had been so sudden that it nearly knocked Levi off alignment, but he held his position fast. The fire in his stomach intensified with Erwin's mouth nipping and licking at his bare back. One hand moved expertly to Levi's ass and he managed to slip two fingers in easily. Levi had had plenty of time to open up to Erwin's advancements and so, fortunately, mild preparation was needed. Omegas were intended to take cocks easily anyway- the bigger the more virile, but Erwin was not keen on having Levi suffer any longer. At some point they'd have to sit down and have a serious talk, but now was not that point. 

With his free hand, Erwin pulled Levi's face towards him and delved in for a heated kiss. He wrapped his tongue with his omega's, obliging the boy's needy mouth with his own. They exchanged saliva, Levi's egging Erwin on while Erwin's calmed Levi significantly, offering a brief reprieve from his insatiable thirst. "Erwin," he panted, though it came out strangled and uneven. Erwin loved it. He hoped to hear his name called in such a way for an eternity. 

He had managed three fingers and they were stretching the boy's eager hole with little resistance. Levi had been ready for quite some time and it only encouraged Erwin when he thought of how Maxim had almost taken -his- Levi. "Do you want me to fuck you?" he whispered into his beloved's ear, licking the shell of it and causing the boy to mewl desperately. 

"Yes- Fuck- Yes," Levi responded needily, pressing his ass back onto Erwin's fingers. "Hurry- hurry, I want to feel you inside me." 

"Patience little one," Erwin said comfortingly, rubbing Levi's stomach in a calming gesture.

Levi groaned impatiently, making the most immature, pathetic sounding whine when Erwin retracted his fingers.

"Shh," Erwin whispered, hardly able to contain himself as he lined the tip of his cock to Levi's ass. "Are you sure you want this?" he asked calmly, though he was sure he wouldn't be able to stop now if he had wanted to. 

"Erwin!" Levi yelled, gritting his teeth and digging his nails hard into the mattress. 

Erwin didn't need any more prompting and proceeded to slam into Levi slightly harder than he had intended to. The boy's eyes widened comically and he fell face first into the mattress, his entire upper body hitching as a loud moan escaped his lips. Erwin didn't waste any time. He pulled back and thrust in again, holding Levi's hips so tight he would have been afraid of bruising them if his instincts hadn't mostly taken over. Instead, he thought the bruises would be a good indicator of who Levi was betrothed to if any haughty alphas dared to lay a hand on him. 

Erwin didn't blame Levi for falling off kilter as he had no real warning in regards to Erwin's violent entrance. Although Erwin could tell Levi wasn't going to be able to hold himself up now. It was slightly irritating for Erwin who had to lean over completely to begin his thrusting seeing as how he wanted to invade the deepest regions of Levi. The irritation didn't last long as the pleasure of being inside his lover made his focus a blurred mess of arousal and heat. 

"Levi," he grunted, sliding his cock in and out of the lithe boy with fervor. Levi was moaning in pleasure beneath him and the sound of his voice rang like a sweet symphony in Erwin's ears. "Does my cock feel good inside you?" he whispered in a hot puff of breath. It tickled Levi's ear, but that only caused his own erection to stand painfully rigid. He tried to respond but all that spilled from his lips was a painfully butchered wave of unrecognizable consonants and syllables. 

Erwin could feel Levi trembling from where he was hunched over the smaller boy's back to the deepest ridges inside of his body. His cock continued to pulse inside the omega as his thrusts grew slightly erratic, the bulge of his anatomy beginning to swell. 

Levi began to tense beneath Erwin and the man could hear his lame attempts at calling out to him in frantic breaths. 

"What is is?" Erwin asked, his good-natured tone still apparent despite the deep, heavy breathing it was nearly lost in. 

Levi shook his head, his shoulder blades so tense they were nearly touching as his attempts at communicating were slaughtered before they could escape his throat. Erwin was slamming repeatedly against the small bundle of nerves that Levi could have only dreamed of reaching himself and the feeling was too intense for him to handle. 

The knot near the tip of Erwin's cock was beginning to swell larger than Levi was able to handle and it slowly began to catch on the ridges inside of him. For Erwin, the euphoric feeling only increased. He let out a low groan deep in the base of his throat and kissed the junction between Levi's neck and shoulder, testing his teeth against the pale skin before he bit savagely in. The pain caused Levi to cry out, but didn't do much to dull the pleasure. The two conflicting feelings were raging inside of him and just as he got used to the feeling of Erwin's teeth cutting into his skin, the man pulled away and went in again, slamming his cock in with rhythmic and synchronized precision. Levi wasn't sure if he felt so good it was painful or if the pain was beginning to dull the pleasure, but either way he didn't entirely mind. 

Blood trickled from the fresh wound and finally Erwin's knot had swelled to fullness. His large arms encased Levi's body, making him feel more safe than threatened, and finally, with several shallow thrusts, Erwin's knot caught and Levi could feel the sensation of the alpha's thick speed spilling inside of him. It felt nearly endless, but the impact wasn't lost on him. He curled his fingers over Erwin's forearms and, with Erwin's helpful hand, was brought to his own release. The energy drained out of him, along with his release, and finally he fell lax in Erwin's arms. 

Erwin let out a loud groan as the last of his seed spilled inside of Levi, his knot still swelled uncomfortably large. He fell to the side in favor of crushing his lover, and grunted slightly, adjusting himself and then pulling Levi firmly against his chest. The two were still connected by Erwin's knot and would continue to be for quite some time. 

"Levi?" Erwin panted lightly, lifting his head to take a look at his lover. Levi's face looked angelic under his mess of sweat-slicked black hair and Erwin couldn't suppress his smile when he noticed how peaceful his sleeping expression appeared. He pressed a light kiss to the base of Levi's skull and curled their bodies together. "Goodnight Levi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize on behalf of my horrendous porn writing skills. I am so sorry;;;


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Wow another short and not very quality chapter. There may only be a few chapters left of this story, considering I'm not sure where else I could go with it. (I mean I could come up with a shit load of stuff, but there's no use drawing it out!)
> 
> Work has just been a killer lately. I always end up having to go in on my days off ugghh
> 
> But lucky for you if you like a slightly more aggressive Erwin and also robots- On my page you'll see that I've started a new story featuring Mechanic!Erwin and Robot!Levi. Pretty fuckin awesome right? (Not really it's kinda dumb I'm sorry u_u)
> 
> Well, also in that story you don't have to wait 9 chapters for smut........

Levi wasn't used to waking up surrounded by warmth. More often than not, he would rise with a significantly lowered body temperature- his fingers were often white from poor blood flow and his feet would be veritable icicles. This morning- however- the warmth was positively flowing through him. He felt lighter than air and also like a rock fit snug in the earth at the same time. It wasn't until the scent of honey invaded his senses that he realized where he was and what had happened. 

The night before was a distant haze, and yet incredibly vivid. It was like the transition between dream and reality; As if it was clear as day until you tried to recall details. He let out a deep sigh, trying to keep his pounding heart from interrupting the sleeping man behind him. The lack of restraint on his end was embarrassing, though he was slightly glad that it was over now. The anticipation of losing his freedom was far worse than the act itself- And better to someone like Erwin than to someone like Maxim. Maybe Maxim would finally leave him alone now that he had the scent of another alpha. 

"Levi?" Erwin murmured suddenly into his ear, snuggling closer to him on instinct. Levi didn't recoil, but didn't do much to return Erwin's gentle touch. "Are you alright?" 

Levi didn't say anything for a long time. He rolled his jaw in thought, his eyes trained on the wall opposite him. "Probably." He'd had a week to prepare for his freedom being stripped from him, so it wasn't as soul crushing as it might have seemed. 

Erwin pulled his arms away and Levi felt the cold before the room's temperature got to him. He closed his eyes, irritated at how longingly he wanted to ask Erwin to wrap his arms around him again. Erwin placed his hands on Levi's hips and gently disconnected them, his breath falling heavy on Levi's neck. Once they were parted, the blonde spoke. "I'm sorry about how...distant I acted last night. I was just, so angry." 

Levi sat up slowly, kneading out the knots in his back, though he felt oddly refreshed despite the brutality of Erwin from the previous night. "It's okay," he replied. "I shouldn't have run from you." 

"No," Erwin said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "No," he repeated again, this time with finality. "Levi I wasn't mad at you- Please understand that." He waited for a moment, but Levi did nothing. He wouldn't even look at him. Erwin reached out and gently pulled Levi's face towards him. "Do you understand that?" 

Levi shrugged noncommittally, feeling oddly childlike. It was like when he was young and his mother would try to pry into his feelings. The only difference was that Erwin was gentle and loving and didn't apply the pressure his mother had. Levi wondered if he had said no, what Erwin would have replied with. Probably some inspiration bullshit. "I understand," Levi said. 

Erwin frowned. "Do you really?" He took Levi's face in both hands, caressing his cheeks lightly with his thumbs. "I wasn't mad at you Levi. It's not your fault. Not at all. What you did was dangerous, but I understand why you did it. I don't want to hold you back." 

Levi cast his eyes down, uncomfortably aware of how naked his body was. He didn't move, almost stiffened with defense. He bit the inside of his lip, wishing Erwin wasn't such an open book. Levi never was good with expressing himself. 

"So," Erwin continued slowly, allowing Levi interjection if he needed it. "I won't make you stay with me. After we get things sorted out with the authorities, you're free to go. Anywhere you want. Whenever you want. If you need money, I'll give you money. If you need a good word, I'll give you a good word. I just want you to know..." He scratched the back of his head, swallowing nervously. "You weren't just a stray I picked up for fun because I had nothing better to do. Ever since we first met, I knew immediately that I loved you." He paused and thought. "Well, maybe not consciously. But subconsciously it was love at first sight." 

\---

Levi had been running for hours now. The Survey Corps assholes were closing in on him and he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep up the chase. The rain was coming down hard, weighing his heavy woolen cloak down so heavily that he thought he might fall over. Finally, he removed the heavy thing, opting to chance himself in the cold wetness. He could see his breath in front of him and wished for nothing more than his meager little cot in his shack of a home. 

He turned a sharp corner, only to be confronted by a massive man. He was apprehended before he could turn on his heel and the man shouted something incoherent, perfectly timed with a thunderous clap from the sky. Levi looked up at him, looking much like a desperate and drowned rat. He inhaled shallowly, his breath coming more unevenly than an asthmatic's. The man stared at him, his face going from hard to soft in a matter of seconds. He released his grip slowly, and that was it- As soon as Levi had the chance he escaped, leaving the towering blonde standing dumbfounded in his wake. 

\---

Levi didn't know what to say. He didn't know how he felt, honestly. He didn't know if the ache in his chest was conflict or anxiety. He had always adamantly belonged to no alpha, and he didn't want to stop now. He wasn't a prize to be won or an exotic animal to be owned. He looked away, fidgeting. 

"You don't have to answer me," Erwin said quickly, not wishing for Levi too feel uncomfortable for too long. "Now that you have my scent on you, no alpha should wish to have you- I wish I could word that better. But this way you'll be happy. You can do what you wish with no alphas trying to take you as a mate." He nudged the boy carefully. "Go put something on and we'll go down to talk to the Military Police." 

\---

The walk to meet with the Military Police was a silent one. Levi felt oddly at ease trailing behind Erwin. There were no crude or otherwise uncomfortable looks to be had by passing alphas, neither were there catcalls or lascivious remarks regarding the omega. A few onlookers who were aware of Erwin looked curiously at the boy carrying his scent, but none-so-far had remarked negatively on the spectacle that was the two men. 

When Erwin pushed open the doors to the Military Police's core offices, he and Levi were met with silence. It was the kind of silence where you could predict the individual thoughts of each occupant in the room. 'Those two actually did it.'; 'I thought it was a rouse'; 'Isn't that omega far below that alpha's range?', things of that nature. Erwin pushed through the tumult indignantly, finding Isabel and Farlan sitting in the back office with blankets over their shoulders. They both looked exhausted and unhapppy, mainly Farlan who Erwin didn't remember seeing the night before but knew had been with Levi at some point. 

He approached the two and they both rose eagerly, pushing past Erwin so they could hug their small omegan friend. "Levi! We were so worried!" Isabel cried. 

Erwin tried not to feel upset at their reunion, but couldn't help the sneer that immediately came to his face. It was much too soon after their first mating for people to be touching Levi- they were just lucky there weren't alphas. 

"Erwin," Came a dignified voice Erwin recognized immediately. 

"Father," he regarded in return, turning to face the man. He smiled wanly and held out his hand for a shake. His father swatted it away and embraced him wholly- which was just as surprising to Erwin as the swat. 

"I'm so proud of you, son. I knew you wouldn't let me down." He placed Erwin to the side with a fatherly gesture and walked to Levi, examining him pleasantly. "You're positively glowing- Knowing my son's virility you're already ripe with pups." 

Levi's eyes widened, but his mouth remained a fine line. He didn't say anything, though the irritation was fixed on his brow. He averted his eyes and opted to hide behind Erwin- something he wouldn't have done normally. He didn't want to destroy his chance of finally escaping this oppressive classicism. Erwin turned enough to place a hand on Levi's head, effectively gentling him much to Levi's dismay. 

"Levi had a traumatic night. Please leave him be," Erwin said calmly, to which his father bowed an understanding, though still beamed. "What have they done with Maxim?" 

"Well," Erwin's father hummed thoughtfully. "There isn't much word on what decisions will be made. He's been a loyal soldier to the Garrison for some time now and high ranking officers aren't dealt with so easily. It's a strong offense to try and take another alpha's omega, however. It's a tough call, but I wouldn't worry. He'll be in prison for at least three months." 

"Three months," Erwin scoffed. "I would hope far longer than that." 

"As I said, it's a difficult situation." Erwin's father scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes. "If I could sentence him to a thousand years, I would. I am still rather upset at his attempt to destroy my son's only chance at sharing a mate." 

Erwin flushed and Levi smiled despite himself. Behind them, Isabel and Farlan snorted. "H-Hey-" he murmured, though no good rebuttal came to mind. He hadn't exactly been crawling in omegas before Levi (nor had he particularly wanted to be). 

"Alfred, sir, they've made a decision on Maxim's sentencing," said a lesser officer that had entered the office just recently. 

\---

"They let him off scott free!?" Hanji threw her hands angrily on the tabletop, the heat rising to her face in a matter of seconds. 

"Good morning to you too Hanji," Erwin mumbled. He sipped at his coffee, looking pointedly at the newspaper she had thrown onto his coffee table. "It's spread that fast already? Well, if he doesn't suffer his reputation sure will. Not that that's any consolation in the least." 

Hanji sighed, striding to Levi's side. She hugged the omega's head, nearly choking him. "When I read this I was so worried! And pissed- Erwin why didn't you come and tell me what happened!? I thought I was your best friend!" 

"You are," Erwin said. "But, between everything that had happened there was just no time. Now you know. Be happy." 

Hanji frowned. "Through. A. Newspaper, Erwin!" She smacked the newspaper with the back of her hand and squinted her eyes. "I could honestly just punch you right now." 

"Go ahead," Erwin huffed. "I already feel like shit. It'd be an unnoticed addition." 

Hanji glared, "Are you calling me weak?" 

"Physically, maybe. Creatively, not quite." He stretched out his back, a deep, deep sigh escaping his lips. "I'm exhausted. I just want to go back to sleep." He looked to Levi who was staring at the inside of Erwin's apartment like it was a playground- shiny and new and something never before appreciated. Erwin could tell immediately that Levi's nesting instinct was beginning to take over. He smiled at the thought of Levi running around in a cute little apron- preferably with nothing on underneath- cleaning and rearranging to his heart's content. Erwin wasn't particular. He wouldn't mind what Levi did with their home. 

"Come here," Erwin bid to Levi, and the omega did so, quirking an eyebrow in the impudent way he often did which wasn't immediately displeasing to Erwin. 

"What?" Levi asked dryly. 

"I want to kiss you," Erwin said, smiling pleasantly. "Is that alright?" 

"Don't ask. That's fucking stupid." Levi rolled his eyes, mostly hoping the scarlet of his cheeks wasn't too apparent on his pale face though it was plainly obvious. 

Erwin pulled lightly on Levi's arm, kissing him softly on the lips. The way Levi's knees knocked together didn't go unnoticed by the doting alpha and he smiled against the intimate locking of their lips. "Your lips are so soft. Like rose petals. I love it," Erwin commented.

Levi pulled away and grabbed the newspaper from the table. He rolled it up and smacked Erwin across the face with lightening quickness. "I hate you," he seethed, his face an undeniable shade of red. He skulked off, wiping his cheeks with his palms as if he could scrub the blush away.


End file.
